Carnal Cabernet
by sweeteggy
Summary: Edd has a drinking problem... Why?
1. Chapter 1

It always took a millennium as if he had all the time in the world to waste. It was the bane of each and every morning that haunted him since his teenage days; the likely end to his expensive knick-knacks. After one heated misjudgment of strength, they would be shattered by the nearby wall.

"Where are they?!" Eddy screamed and threw over a nightstand, sending a pile of auto magazines flying. He belted a loud, frustrated growl and balled his fists while looking rampantly around his surroundings, his eyes darting from one corner to another over each and every thing in the room. A quick glance at his phone; 11:23am; Eddy pursed his lips…

He was steaming. Everything was a mess. The entire room mocked him. The reminded of how late he was only fueled his rage. He was in mid-step headed back into the bedroom when he heard the loud sound of a motor coming from his pocket; it was his text message notification noise from his phone. He sighed loudly and flattened a hand on the wall, leaning against it for the support he would inevitably need when he read the message. Being so worked up was really tiring.

The screen lit up with a message that sounded a lot more concerned than he was expecting: "Are you okay?" His brow softened, not completely but noticeably. He was expecting something along the lines of "Where are you" or "You slept in didn't you?" Eddy's heart sunk a little in his chest, but he gulped and tried to refrain from replying right away, half expecting a follow-up text with a hidden sarcastic punchline. He counted the seconds and started biting his nails for some miniscule comfort for his anxiety. The air conditioner switched on and a vent pointed towards his head provided a very cooling relief. He almost forgot he was angry. As he relaxed and leaned against the wall while staring blankly at his phone screen, the next message popped up on his screen: "Did you forget?"

Eddy emitted the smallest whine and slide down against the wall until he was sitting on the floor. He went straight to work texting a reply; "No! I lost my keys."

After he sent the reply, a wave of relief washed over him. As he relaxed and waited for the response, enjoying the cool breeze of the air conditioner, he suddenly had the realization that he should hit the bathroom before hitting the road. He grunted as he hoisted himself towards the toilet and trudged into the bathroom. He dropped his pants and plopped down onto the toilet, holding his head in one hand and the phone in the other when the smallest glimmer caught his attention. There, sticking out of his jeans on the floor by the shower, were his keys.

"Son of a bitch," he muttered to himself, smiling softly and shaking his head. At that moment, the sound of a motor filled the bathroom. The message read: "Of course you have. Take your time. I'm not going anywhere." As understanding as the message seemed to read, the first part made Eddy squint questionably, staring at his screen with a defensive expression. With his free hand he clutched at the bunched up jeans and boxers around his knees, squeezing the fabric between his palm to relieve some of the building up defiance in his chest. He seriously considered taking his time in the bathroom before heading out; Edd could wait a little longer for that comment, but on the other hand; he really wanted to see him again.

So, he wouldn't make him wait.

…..

A glowing feeling burst from his chest the moment they embraced for the first time in a year; it was a feeling of ecstasy so strong and sudden that he was overwhelmed with embarrassment at the strange thought Edd might notice somehow. For the few seconds they hugged, it was as if the entire shop around them faded into the distance and he could only zero in on the simple fact that they were hugging. He forgot to even enjoy the warmth of their embrace.

Eddy smiled awkwardly as the two pulled away and sat down at the very small table, practically bumping knees. He tried to shake off the fuzzy feeling that lingered from the scent of Edd's deodorant that clung to him like a wet paper towel. Edd's radiating happiness did nothing to distract him. Edd placed his hands on Eddy's arms and the two exchanged excited expressions, the positivity of their vibes making the air around them seem to buzz faintly. "I'm so happy to see you," he said, giving Eddy a squeeze.

Eddy chuckled. Although Edd literally said the same thing only seconds ago while they were hugging, it was sounding more sincere the more he said it. "It's been a while, huh?" Eddy smirked and placed his own hands on Edd's arms so that they were holding each other's forearms and bumping their knees underneath the tiny table.

"I…" Edd started to mutter but halted, choking back an emotion that was just starting to break through his display of excitement. Eddy glanced down when he felt nails starting to dig into his skin. "I…," he continued, his voice wavering a bit, "I missed you, Eddy…"

"Eddy?" The barista called his name, and Eddy glanced up with misty eyes to see their order was ready and sitting on the counter.

"I'll get it. " He said quietly before getting up. He took the few seconds to steel himself against whatever Edd could possibly say to him. Edd slumped forward, wringing his hands together and sniffling quietly. He was visibly emotional, and it was causing Eddy to sweat with concern. As he set the coffee down on the table he asked; "What's going on with you?"

A stray tear slid down Edd's cheek but he quickly swiped it away and glanced out the window, avoiding Eddy's line of sight. Eddy sat down and gave his knee a hard shove with his own, which was apparently enough to get a response. "I'm sorry, Eddy. I know my visits are spaced too far apart, but I don't think I can do this anymore. It's too painful."

It was Eddy's turn to become visibly upset, now. His eyes started to water, and that familiar tightness in his chest returned as his breath caught in his throat. "What are you talking about? You're not gonna visit anymore?" In the two seconds it took Edd to respond, Eddy could feel the world suddenly begin to unravel at the seams.

"No, that's not it! Obviously!" Edd grabbed Eddy's balled up fists and held them in place. "Eddy, I've been going to the university for three years now, and each year… each year is more painful than the last. I'm at the end of my rope. I can't bear to be apart from you, and Ed."

Eddy stared wide-eyed and dazed as he took in the heavy compliment. "Y-yeah," he responded quietly, un-balling his fists, feeling the warmth of Edd's hands on top of his own, "me too." A flicker of hope glistened in his chest as he watched Edd's lower lip tremble with a very familiar emotion.

"Have you tried it yet?" He asked, suddenly changing gears and taking a shaky sip of his latte.

"N-no," Eddy said, thrown off. He took a small sip and savored the new flavor. "Hey that's pretty good."

"I think…" Edd stated, a distinct hint of summoned courage etched in his voice, "I think we should live together."

Suddenly Eddy thrashed backwards with a yelp as hot latte spilled over his hand and into his lap, on the table, the floor, all over the place. The burning sensation seeping through his jeans was no match for the intensity of Edd's longing yet humiliated expression. It only lasted a moment, because he suddenly jumped up and grabbed handfuls of napkins from the nearby counter. Eddy felt his face heat up as he wiped his arms off on his shirt. He glanced up when Edd placed a stack of napkins on the wet table in front of him and began to mop up the latte pool.

"Thanks." Eddy mumbled, grabbing a handful and gently wiping his crotch. He tried squeezing the thick denim folds with the napkins in his hand to wring out what he could. Sensing a sudden stillness Eddy glanced up at Edd for a moment and caught his eyes, which had been fixated on his crotch in the most unabashed way. Edd quickly noticed and looked away, his cheeks slowly reddening. He kept glancing out the window and to the side, chewing his lip as if to hold himself back from saying anything.

Eddy silently shuddered as a shiver ran down his spine and through his legs. He finished mopping up the spill with Edd. It was a heavy silence that settled throughout the coffee shop. Eddy could practically feel the aura of anxiety Edd was projecting.

"Look, Double D…" Eddy said, after throwing away a large wad of wet napkins. He took a moment to pause and clear his throat when he noticed Edd's face melt into an expression he recognized easily: rejection. "Hey, no, it's not that. I wanna live w-with you… uhm…" Nervousness got the best of him mid-sentence, but at least he managed to spit it out before Edd started to get watery-eyed again. "But you live in the city, Sockhead."

Edd looked down to the side, at an angle, when without warning a sudden glimmer of an idea sparked in his eyes and he glanced back up at Eddy with hope washed over his face. For the instant their eyes met Eddy could decipher the code behind his expression and immediately knew the question; one which carried with it a hefty responsibility. It made him shiver, but for some reason, Eddy couldn't say no to him. Although his fear grounded him into reality, Eddy suddenly felt depersonalized while he heard his voice say: "Okay. Let's do it."

He was beaming; they both were.

But a stagnation; a hesitant heaviness between them, suffocated their ecstasy, so they lingered for a moment and flexed their hands a bit. Edd clutched at his elbows while Eddy pressed his fists into his jean pockets. "Sh-should be fun." Eddy stuttered awkwardly, immediately regretting it and trying his best to act like he didn't.

"Yeah," Edd played along and grabbed his coffee. "Absolutely."

…..

Eddy groaned loudly as the box in his arms bared down on his muscles, straining his back. He did what he could with his knees but the weight of the contents caused him to sway a little. Edd made a noise of surprise and immediately dropped the trashbag full of clothes on the ground to help the man steady himself. He placed his hands beneath the box to help with the weight as much as he could, but Eddy stopped him. "Don't! Wait, wait, wait..." He growled as he set the box back down, making a cry of relief when he did so. "It's too much, we'll have to split it up."

"What's in there?" Edd asked incredulously, eyeing the box with curiousity for what Eddy could possibly own that would be so heavy.

Eddy shrugged. "It's a buncha things. I don't know. I just threw a bunch of shit in boxes and bags."

Edd grimaced noticeably before shaking his head. "You could have asked to borrow my lablemaker, you know. It would have made this process so much easier."

Eddy rolled his eyes. "It would have taken just as much time to label and sort everything, Double D. B'sides, this is easier."

"Alright," Edd said from a distance, walking away as he carried the clothing and a large duvet beneath his arm. "Say that again when you're back's killing you tomorrow."

"My back's always killing me..." Eddy said to himself, eyeing the box. "What's even in here, anyway?" He truly could not remember, so he fished the box cutter out of his pocket and shredded the tape once secured to the top of the box. He lifted open the flaps of cardboard and almost immediately slammed them shut again.

He still had no idea what was in there that was so heavy, but whatever it was it was covered up by his secret stash of gay pornography. Eddy winced and rolled his eyes in the back of his head, taking a moment to curse himself for being stupid and not hiding these better. He should have realized Edd would be helping him move and therefore might catch a glimpse. "Why didn't I keep them in the bag?" He said to himself in a quiet, pained tone of voice.

"Keep what in a bag?" Edd said from behind him, making him jump.

Apprently Edd was already back to help. He shifted to look around Eddy, to see the box, but Eddy shoved him aside. "Nothing," he said a little more shakily than he intended. "Don't worry about it."

Edd clearly has no idea what was in the box, there was no possible way he could have known as Eddy had those cardboard flaps completely pinned down, but he still giggled to himself as he reached another box in the back of the truck. "Is it your collection of special magazines or something?"

"Oh, HA-HA very funny!" Eddy responded, his voice cracking. He still stood in the same place with one arm protectively clamped around the top of the box. He watched as Edd secured one package beneath his arm before turning to him, his eyes darting to the box and back again...

They shared an awkward look and a thick silence for a moment, before Edd smiled smugly and held out one of his hands. "Are you just going to stand there? I could take one of the heavy things up with me so you can carry the box, you know."

Eddy raised his eyebrows defensively with a hardened grin, "I got this. Just takin' a break."

Edd haughtily stuck his nose in the air and turned away, a small knowing grin on his face all the while. He walked away while lugging a box in his arms and saying, "Whatever you say, Eddy."

As Edd disappeared behind the corner of the building, now totally out of sight, Eddy immediately spun around and thrashed open the box flaps. He frantically shoved the magazines downwards further into the box, finding a few things that had been beneath them; a collectible t-shirt, a framed picture of his idol, an old wallet he held onto since he was a kid for superstitious reasons; anything he could possibly grab to cover every ab, every pec, every bulge… He suddenly cut himself on a shard of glass. Eddy yelped and ripped his hand from the box, immediately plunging his finger into his mouth. Upon further inspection, he noticed his souvenir shot glass from the casino had broken. What a bummer.

"Shit," he said with a mouthful of bloody finger. It was then that he noticed the soft crunching of grass behind him, and Eddy spun around while tearing his finger away from his mouth. He reached behind him and closed the flaps, just in case. Edd stared him down with disappointment.

"Are you just going to stand there and go through your—" Eddy felt a chill shoot up his spine when he realized Edd noticed his bleeding finger when he paused in mid-sentence. He remained frozen while his friend approached him with sympathy in his eyes and an outstretched hand, ready to examine the accident.

"I-I'm fine." Eddy stuttered, shoving his hand in to his pocket.

"Eddy! We need to disinfect the area right away or you could get an infection!"

"It's fine!" Eddy growled. "I'll take my chances."

"Please Eddy! It will only be a minute. I have a first aid kit in the kitchen."

Eddy had already turned around and began pressing the box flaps closed. He growled as he tried to lift the incredibly heavy box again, the pain tearing down his back muscles as he steadied the box in the worst way possible. "I'm good!" He almost shouted, grunting and straining with every word as he tried to walk, "I'll… take…this… with… and… we can… do it… after."

Edd watched him trudging in pain with a look of confusion on his face.

…..

Eddy rolled over with a grunt of discomfort, scooping up another pillow under his chin. The futon creaked beneath him while he shuffled, trying to find the perfect position to fall back asleep. Unsure of what woke him up in the first place, he let his mind drift to his deepest and darkest fantasies as he began to drift back to sleep. For a split second, Eddy could swear his fantasy seeped into reality so he cracked open an eye, coming back to Earth for a moment to interpret the strange noises coming from Edd's bedroom. He glanced at the clock on the wall; it was well past midnight, and the empty silence as the world slept soundly around them served as a blank canvas for the odd melody that permeated from the walls that separated them. It almost sounded like he was crying very quietly in the distance. It was so faint, almost unnoticeable, which further intrigued him. It almost seemed… suppressed, even.

He sleepily sat up in the bed. Eddy rubbed his face while making a concerned glance towards the bedroom door on the other side of the apartment. He strained his ears to listen for more but it was near impossible now that he was trying to hone in on it. Perhaps he had just been dreaming it?

Just as he shrugged to himself and was about to lay down, another whimper had him straighten to attention. "What the shit," he mumbled to himself, finally deciding to stand up. The floor felt freezing so he shivered and grabbed one of the throws that was draped over the side of the futon. He walked heavily to Edd's door and was just about to knock when another noise had his arm frozen in midair. It sounded like a shaking, stifled moan that was obstructed by a hand or pillow; the context of which he was very well acquainted with, himself.

Eddy's mouth dropped open. He stared at the pasty white paint of the door while his mind raced through a thousand images of his roommate jerking off only a few feet away. For a moment he considered banging on the door to purposefully embarrass him, to make his involvement known, but the urge to continue to listen in the shadow consumed him. Eddy chewed on his lip as he pressed his ear to the door. The interior sounds were much clearer now and he could hear Edd sniffling quietly. He furrowed his brow at this, a little embarrassed for making an erotic assumption when it seemed he was simply crying as he often seemed to do.

Suddenly the sound of the doorknob turning had him jumping backwards. He was completely unprepared for this confrontation. In the dim light, Eddy could see Edd's tear-stained face, which went from sad to mortified in a split second. One second later, he slammed the door in Eddy's face yelling "oh god!"

Eddy stood frozen on the other side, trying to adjust to the sinking feeling of being caught eavesdropping while he continued to listen helplessly to Edd's blubbering. The sound of the door snapping against the frame from a sudden weight was accompanied by the sound of his body sliding down the door until it hit the floor with a soft thump.

"You wanna," Eddy drew out the question, partially unsure if he wanted to know the answer or not, "talk about it?"

"I'm sorry." Edd whispered behind quieting hands cupped over his face. "I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry…"

"What the hell?" Eddy, frustrated, started to push open the door, causing Edd to slide across the floor until he could stick his head in. "What're ya talkin' about?" He asked, taking in the sight of the bedroom. Next to the bed was an empty wine bottle perched on the night stand, as well as an empty glass. "Oh, you're drunk."

The streetlights outside his bedroom window washed over the rest of the dark room with their pale glow, and in such illumination Eddy watched as Edd nodded shamefully. As Eddy tried to anchor his frustration with a steady, deep breath of air, he noticed a faint scent of musk that brought back the erotic imagery from moments ago. He briefly considered it could perhaps be a coincidence, but the scent lingered strongly, in the most enticing, beckoning way. Eddy shook off the feeling; the sight of Edd melting into a depressed lump on the floor was enough to jar him out of his zone.

"Let's get outta here, alright?"

"Okay," Edd's voice cracked with emotion. They reached towards each other and grasped forearms before he shakily stumbled to his feet. Eddy tried to stabilize his friend but Edd tipped over and leaned into him, pressing their bodies together. He wrapped his arms around his shoulders as if the circumstance warranted no excuses.

Eddy watched blankly as the sensation of their physical contact surged through him like electricity. Edd's body was very warm, and his hair smelled like his favorite brand of shampoo… The effects of this embrace and the one at the coffee shop were night and day. Whereas before, the two were bursting with excitement and bold awkwardness, now their situation nuanced mystery and eroticism; a breeding ground of easily-made bad decisions.

He was very good at making bad decisions.

Eddy pressed his palms flat against Edd's back; his torso was bony and thin and if it weren't for his height Eddy would swallow him. While Eddy squeezed him tightly he heard the sound of a sniffle over his shoulder. It was then that Eddy remembered the crying, and decided they needed to leave before he got wrapped up in something he'd later regret. If Edd hadn't been crying, he would have no resistance.

He had to get cigarettes anyway. He knew exactly where to go. He started to pull away, but Edd stiffened and held steadfast.

"Wait." He clutched at Eddy's shoulders through the department store throw rug that was wrapped round him. "Please."

"Sure…" Eddy managed to squeak out as he felt Edd's arms curl around him once more. He could feel fingers fan out over the muscles in his back, his slightly prickly neck resting warmly against his own. He found himself returning the intimacy of their embrace without a second thought, like a natural reaction.

He heard Edd sigh peacefully and could feel the wisp of breath through his hair, making the tiny hairs on the back of his neck stand up straight. Eddy felt himself stiffen at that; no more than a few seconds afterwards he could feel Edd's palms roll over his back slowly in a very relaxing, yet undoubtedly sensual way. A chill ran down his spine as Edd said quietly, only inches away from his ear; "Can you rub my back? It will help me relax, I promise."

At this point, Eddy knew he would be sacrificing his own nerves for the sake of Edd's, and he knew of the consequences, but he agreed without a second thought. Eddy never uttered a response; he only mimicked the movements. He relished the feeling of Edd's smooth skin beneath the thin fabric of his night shirt, the small curve of his back and the faintest outline of his spine. He tried to take it all in, making a mental blueprint as his hands roamed back and forth cautiously.

Eddy did not notice when Edd had stopped rubbing his back, it was when he started clutching at the blanket in tight fistfuls, the heels of his palms digging in gently; urging. A cold wave washed over Eddy as panic gripped his stomach; he worried he might have weirded him out. He immediately stopped, and when he did Edd released a breathy whine that would have been inaudible had it not been an inch away from his ear.

All in an instant, Eddy realized he had been getting aroused and he pulled away. "There." He blurted out, pulling the blanket around himself to hide the small bump beneath his boxers. His eyes darted around the room nervously, and he was grateful it was so dark.

"Right," Edd replied, sounding uncertain with himself. The silence between them thickened quickly, and Eddy started to feel clammy as he wondered if Edd had, for one reason or another, realized he was aroused. For a moment he wondered if he had any… physical confirmation while they were embracing, and the anxiety of the possibility mixed with the excitement of the same possibility resulting in a very awkward cocktail of arousal.

He tried to shake it off, but Edd's sudden movement had him second-guessing himself as he watched him place his hands together, intertwining is fingers in front of his lap, his eyes focused on the carpet between them. His mouth was slightly ajar, lips trying to form words which Eddy could only guess were being censored by his brain. "Did you…" Edd finally managed to say, his eyes flicking upwards towards Eddy's midsection.

Eddy bit his lip and subconsciously took a step back, grasping the blanket tightly around himself as if it were some sort of protection. Naturally his reaction would be to interrupt him and deny all charges, but contrarily, part of him wanted to be caught. Just when he was about to begin formulating a half-assed excuse, Edd finished his question:

"Did you want to go to Slurpz?"

The weight of the room lifted. Eddy grinned ear to ear, forgetting completely about the entire intimidating scenario. "How'd ya know?" He asked, the expression on his face bright and trusting again. Though it was dark, he could see Edd returning the smile accompanied with a nonchalant shrug. "C'mon, grab your jacket- let's go!"


	2. Chapter 2

"A futon?" Ed smiled widely. Every little detail about their domestic life together was mind-blowing to him. He leaned across the counter on his elbows and made a face, raising one end of his unibrow. "Double D's got a problem with sharing."

Edd craned backwards a bit and rolled his eyes. "It has nothing to do with that, Ed.'

"Oh," Eddy grinned sarcastically, "sure it don't."

"I'm a very generous person!" Edd was appalled at the accusations and gaped at his friends as if they should know better.

Ed guffawed and pointed to a tiny jar next to his register. "You could'a donated that change."

"Ooooh," Eddy jeered from the sidelines, "he's got your number, Sockhead!"

"Orphans," Ed stated matter-of-factly, "with reading disabilities."

Eddy clicked his tongue disapprovingly and shook his head. "Tsk Tsk, reading disabilities, D. Really!"

"Enough!" Edd blushed and quickly grabbed his wallet, pulling out a dollar and slamming it into the jar. "There, happy now?"

Eddy smirked and raised an eyebrow at Ed, as if he was waiting for the perfect comeback. His eyes darted back and forth between the two waiting expectantly for the drama to unfold. Ed, spaced out as ever, stood silently for a moment before saying, "Thank you for your contribution!"

He handed a fresh, off-the-roller, perfectly dressed hotdog to Edd. They didn't even notice he had made it at some point, but there it was, and Eddy was salivating.

"Hey, I want one!" Eddy exclaimed, pulling out a crumpled up dollar bill from his pocket and tossing it in the jar next to Edd's. He stuck out his palm and watched grumpily as Ed spaced out for the second time.

"Sorry Eddy but we discontinued that promotion."

"What?!" Eddy yelled, "Since when?!"

Ed looked over his shoulder at the hot dog rollers, now barren. "Since I ran outta hotdogs."

Eddy glanced over at Edd, who was looking back at him with a smirk on his face. He slowly touched the tip of the hotdog with his tongue. "It's mine, now…"

Eddy went expressionless at the gesture. He watched as Edd gloatingly smirk, a spot of mustard on his bottom lip that practically screamed to get licked off. Ed watched excitedly, overjoyed with intrigue for the showdown between the two across the counter. He stretched out his chin and leaned on his palm, waiting expectantly with the biggest smile on his face.

Eddy cleared his throat. He leaned against the counter as well, with one arm, trying his best to sound suave. "So all the talk about sharing was…"

"Not about food!" Edd finished his sentence for him, taking a rebellious bite with a sinister look on his face.

Ed made a noise that sounded like a stifled giggle, which got a heated look from Eddy and only further pleased Edd. He watched as Edd chewed, relish and mustard and all, and he felt his stomach growl. "Is it good?" He asked sarcastically.

Edd squinted his eyes and paused for a moment, deliberating. "No."

Eddy immediately flared up; "Then give it to me!"

Edd looked away and tapped the hotdog on the paper napkin in his hand, thinking it over a moment before responding: "Give it to me, what?"

Ed quietly squealed, and Eddy shot him a look that gave him the urge to walk away. Within seconds he was behind the "employees only" door, and it was just the two of them staring each other down over a hotdog. Eddy shook his head and decided to play the saint card.

"I rubbed your back."

Convenience stores, in general, are very bright. In any atmosphere in any convenience store that ever existed, there are always lots of bright lights, and in this trademark, bright atmosphere, Eddy could, without a doubt, make out the blush that decorated Edd's cheek as the comment sunk in. Even though there wasn't anything in his mouth at his point, he could see Edd's adam's apple bob as he swallowed.

"Alright," Edd said quietly, shooting a glance at the employee door. "But only if you say please, Eddy."

Eddy bit his lip, mimicking Edd's hesitant glance at the employee door. They locked eyes, and Eddy regretted it because it made him want to say it. Something in the way Edd was looking at him made him want to beg, but not for a hotdog…

"Please?" It came out in a whisper, and Edd's pleased expression sent a chill down his back.

Without hesitation, Edd smiled and held out the hotdog for Eddy to take, but instead of making a grab for it, Eddy leaned forward with a sly smile before opening his mouth. To his surprise, his insinuations actually worked.

Ed bustled through the employee door with a box in his hands. "Got some-" he started to say something, but when he saw what he had walked in on, he went wall-eyed and did an about-face back through the same door. Edd's blush deepened and he lowered the hotdog from midair and set it on the counter. Eddy was still chewing, unphased by anything that just happened.

"Ed!" He shouted, "You put onions on it didn't ya! You know I hate onions!"

"I like onions…" Edd responded bashfully, counting the tiles on the floor.

The soft thud of the employee door opening again grabbed their attention, and Ed returned witht eh same box but with a small orange jar on top. "Got some more hotdogs!" Ed said cheerfully and nodded towards the jar, "And nacho cheese."

"Sweet!" Eddy exclaimed as Edd loaded up the hot rollers; a sizzling sound could be heard as the dogs slowly rotated and cooked in the heat.

Edd stuck out his tongue. Nacho cheese on a hotdog? What has the world come to?

…..

"So," Eddy started off the conversation after taking a long drag from his cigarette, "the drinking. What's up with that?"

Edd was silent for a minute. The only noise surrounding them was the quiet hum of the traffic and what sounded like hundreds of crickets in the field around them. There was no wind, no clouds, only the crescent moon hanging in the dull night sky, void of stars through the thick smog and lights of the city. "I'd rather not talk about it," he finally said.

"Why?"

"It's a long story."

Eddy made a dismissive noise that Edd recognized as the first sign of a hard conversation. He scrambled for a topic changers, fidgeting with his fingers as he tried to think of something other than a song that had been stuck in his head all day. "You know that song-"

"I wanna hear your story," Eddy interrupted, throwing his butt to the ground and stomping on it.

"A-actually…" Edd shoved his hands in his pockets, refusing to look at him. "I have a multitude of other stories."

"Just tell me." Eddy persisted, turning to face Edd, who kept looking away. He scoffed and raised his hands helplessly, "I can't be there for you if you're just gonna close yourself off on me, D. Whaddya want from me?"

Edd raised a hand to his face, hiding his mouth as he chewed on his lip. "I-I don't know what I want."

A loud, frustrated yell clipped into the end of his sentence, and Edd jumped to the side, startled and white as a sheet. "STOP!" Eddy screamed. A dog started barking violently in the distance. "JUST STOP! You're lying to me!"

He glared at Edd, eyes wide as ever and shooting arrows of blame straight through his heart. Just as Edd was about to speak up in defense, Eddy spoke over him again; "Shut up! Nobody drinks because they don't know what they want! People drink because they can't HAVE what they want!"

The barking died down, as well as the majority of crickets. The world around them fell into a silence that outranked every awkward silence they've ever experienced. Eddy shook his head as he stared at his friend, whom kept his stance low and his sight on the ground. As the seconds ticked on, he eventually relaxed his fists and they hung limply at his sides.

"Is it school?" Eddy figured he might as well guess, before one of them broke down. "Is that when it all started?"

"That's," Edd's voice was hollow. It was shaky. "That's when it started, but… not because of school." He glanced up at Eddy, and in the faint light of the moon Eddy could see the rivers of tears streaming down his cheeks.

"Did something happen?" Eddy was straining at this point. "Somethin' you're tryin' to forget?"

A shaky sigh later and Edd answered: "I-I don't know if I want to forget or not… Eddy?"

Eddy started to walk away. He trudged heavily through the thick weeds and untamed grasses, ignoring Edd's confusion, or the sound of rapidly approaching footsteps following him.

"Eddy?" Edd reached out to touch his arm but Eddy rolled his shoulder away.

He marched on, leaving Edd in the patch of land behind Slurpz, until he got to his car in the parking lot. He stood by the door for a moment, thinking something over for a minute or so before jumping in his car and pulling away, leaving Edd, walking alone in the parking lot.

Edd stood in the same spot, watching as Eddy's headlights disappeared down the road, staring in disbelief that he was just ditched there, without a word. He scowled and turned his heel to walk back into the tiny store.

The little bell at the top of the door jingled cheerfully as he entered.

"Where'd Eddy go?" Ed immediately noticed his friend's absence.

"He ditched me." Edd said sadly, looking around the store.

Ed made a face of surprise. "But you shared a hotdog together!"

Edd tried to manage a smile before walking towards the refrigerated drinks section, making a beeline towards the alcoholic beverages. He grabbed the largest can of beer he saw and walked back over to the counter. "Can I just put this on my tab? My wallet was in his car."

Ed smiled and held out his hand, "I.D. please!"

"Wha—" Edd, baffled, strengthened his grip on the cold drink. "But you know how old I am, Ed!"

"I.D. PLEASE!" Ed repeated, staring Edd down with his hand still out.

Edd gave a defeated sigh and pushed it away. "I don't know why I even… I don't even like beer!" He teared up and started to cry, his knees wobbling as a wad of built up emotion racked through his body. "I don't even know what to DO with myself anymore!"

He crumpled up and fell to the floor a sobbing mess. Ed hurriedly raced around the counter and grabbed his friend, pulling him up off the ground and forcing him to lean on his shoulder. "There, there." He said, patting him as he tried to walk him around back until they came to a chair that was pushed against the wall. Ed let him fall into it. He took a knee in front of him and held his arm as he cried pathetically.

"Here," Ed grabbed a wad of napkins that were by the condiments and stuffed them in Edd's hands. "Blow your nose."

"Thank you, Ed." Edd said with gratitude, weary from crying and lack of sleep. He dabbed the corners of his eyes and cleared his sinuses. "You don't have any wine, do you?"

"Not in this state." Ed replied casually, leaving Edd to decipher if it was one of his usual non-sequiturs or if he just dropped a hint he was smuggling alcohol illegally. Edd shrugged; it wasn't worth thinking about.

The bell rang cheerfully, jolting the two of them to look at the door.

"Ed," Eddy said as he barged in, "Gimme a paper bag."

Ed was unphased that Eddy had returned, almost as if he were expecting it. "Roger!" He handed off the paper bag.

Edd looked up at Eddy pathetically, squeezing the wet napkins in his hand. Eddy glared at him and made an impatient gesture. "Well?" He asked roughly, "You comin' or what?"

"Y-yeah," Edd replied, quickly getting to his feet and shuffling around the counter to follow him out of the store. The two left without another word to Ed, who grabbed the can of beer and threw it in the trash.

"Waste not want not!"

…..

Edd giggled, reclining back on the hood of Eddy's car. In his lap was a paper bag with a glass snout sticking out of the top. Eddy joined him, kicking his shoes off without a care. They clattered to the grass below with a soft thump.

"This stuff's pretty strong," Eddy remarked with a smile, "for wine, anyway."

"Mmm," Edd took another swig and licked his lips, handing it off to Eddy again. "It's brilliant." He watched as Eddy took a drink as well, his eyes lighting up with happiness. "Eddy…"

"Yeah?" Eddy nestled the wine between his legs and looked over to Edd. He twitched as he felt a hand rest on top of his own, and squeezed.

"Thank you," Edd's voice was quiet and timid, but sincere; "I know it must be difficult for you to be so… compassionate. I really appreciate it."

Eddy's face warmed. He moved his thumb over so he could rub the side of Edd's thumb while their hands stayed meshed together. "S'nothin'…" he gulped and murmured, "what're friends for?"

The fact that they were still technically holding hands made him nervous as ever, and he tried to ignore how Edd was leaning towards him, facing him; he could see it out of the corner of his eye. He jumped in place when he saw a hand in his lap, grabbing for the bottle of wine.

"You're a tad jumpy." Edd remarked, removing his hand from Eddy's in order to fold the paper bag back a little bit so he could take another swig. Eddy wasn't sure how to reply to that so he kept silent, fingering a bulge in his pocket as if he was deciding on whether he should pull it out or not.

"You…" Eddy started to say; he was going to reinstate that they were just holding hands, and that he had a right to be jumpy, when he jumped again because Edd placed his hand on his shoulder and started to rub his arm.

"Relax," he said quietly, with a smile Eddy could only read as content and tipsy. "I'll tell you why I drink… eventually. I just need more um," Edd paused, beside himself with the idea that he was literally addicted to alcohol. "inspiration, I suppose."

"Weelllll…" Eddy finally pulled it out. A small tin can of mints.

"No thank you." Edd refused, not wanting to mix the flavor with the wine.

"It's not mints," Eddy said, pulling it open to reveal what looked like—

"Oh," Edd said, eyes widening in shock. He had never seen it up close like that. "Is that what I think it is?"

Eddy pulled out a lighter with his other hand. "Yup." He grabbed one out of the small tin box and held it in his lips before shoving it back into his pocket. He gave a glance to Edd who watched him in both fascination and fear, and decided he should add a disclaimer. "Look, it's not an everyday thing..."

Edd quickly shook his head. "No, of course not."

Eddy lit the end and took a long, slow drag from the blunt. He held it in his lungs for a few seconds before blowing, and a large heavy cloud of smoke dissipated in the wind. The scent was pungent and lingering, and was faintly mixed with… grape?

"Why do I smell grapes?" Edd asked ignorantly.

Eddy chuckled. "It's the flavor of the wrapper. It's not my favorite but, not all places have my favorite flavor, y'know?"

Edd watched him take another hit. "Isn't that highly illegal?"

Eddy rolled his eyes and held it out. He wasn't actually expecting Edd to take it, but figured it was worth a shot. "So is drinking in public." He raised an eyebrow. The cherry burned slowly, and the smoke twisted in the air between the two of them as Edd stared at the small brown illegal substance between Eddy's fingers. "If you want inspiration," Eddy motioned towards it, "this is it, D."

"Well," Edd lifted his hand in preparation to accept Eddy's offering, although he was extremely hesitant, "what would happen?"

"You… would get high. Like me. And we'll talk." Eddy was already starting to feel the effects. It was easier for him to be patient like this, because the seconds were longer, and time seemed slower. He patiently waited for Edd to take the bait, looking forward to the truth.

"You know, Eddy," Edd's hand lowered and he scowled. "I may be an alcoholic, but I'm not fond of the idea of breaking the law."

"It's only breaking the law if you're caught." Eddy stated, raising a hand to showcase their empty surroundings. "See? Who's gonna stop us?"

He was right. They were overlooking the city, parked high on a hillside valley next to a back road that nobody travelled on, unless they lived there that is. It was highly unlikely they would get caught. Nevertheless, Edd gave him a look. "It's still breaking the law, Eddy.'

"Ahhh, whatever," Eddy gave in, taking another hit for himself. "So much for talking, I guess.'

"I'd still like to talk." Edd took another swig. Then another. He drank the rest of the bottle and then threw it overboard.

"Littering is also illegal.". Eddy said, giggling to himself.

Edd scoffed and rolled his eyes. "Oh, whatever; I'll pick it up later!" He leaned, resting on Eddy's shoulder. "I'm sorry… I'm such a mess. I'm a wreck!"  
Eddy was silent. He took another hit, and the blunt was nearing its end at this point.

"You know, Eddy… I've always wanted to try that."

"Try what?"

"Marijuana. Just once. Just to see what's it's like."

Eddy was trying to smoke the rest without burning the tip of his nose. "Well you don't want it now. It's too hot for a newbie. I have more though-"

"That's alright." Edd said, nuzzling Eddy's shoulder with a happy sigh. "You're so wonderful."

"Yep," eddy flicked the Roach into the grass below. "I'm the best."

"You smell like… Cigarettes and hair gel."

Eddy made a confused face. "You… Smellin' me, sockhead?"

A stray hand traced the line down the hem of his jeans. Eddy looked down to see, in slow motion, Edd's fingertip leaving a trail of sensation down his thigh. Under normal circumstances, Eddy would get anxious and impatient, but instead he smiled awkwardly and reclined back, accepting this sensual yet alien feeling, relishing the strangeness of the situation.

"I wish," Edd said wistfully, a fingertip unfolding into an entire handful of fingers roaming around his thigh, "we could be like this forever..."

"Why not?" Eddy said, shrugging. "It's nice."

"Mmm…" Edd hummed as he relaxed his head on Eddy's shoulder, gently placing a hand on his chest. "I can't believe we're living together." For some reason, saying it out loud made Edd burst into a fit of giggles. Eddy, as spaced out as ever, watched the way a single sheet of thin cloud slowly crawl over the face of the moon. Edd ran his fingers over what he assumed was a patch of chest hair underneath Eddy's shirt. "I never thought I would be so lucky."

Eddy blinked a few times as the last comment sunk in. "Lucky?" He replied as he turned to look into Edd's eyes. "That's what luck is to you? Being with," he paused to lick his lips, feeling as if his mouth was full of sand all of the sudden, "me?"

Edd sighed; a small, simple sigh, one lacking repression or nervousness. It was a carefree sigh of contentment. "Yes."

Eddy tried to gulp down the radiating warmth that pumped through his chest, through his extremities. Joy surged through him for the first time in a long time, and he found himself grinning from ear to ear. He clenched his fist a few times before slipping it behind Edd's back. Edd began tracing small circles across the top of Eddy's chest. He didn't even notice the hand that disappeared between them, so when he felt the flat of a hand rest on his waist, he might have paused for a moment, but only for a moment. He quickly went back to making circles over the hidden collarbone with a slowly widening smile that was closely following Eddy's.

A few minutes passed as the two men reclined; cuddling, slightly, in some form of the definition. A small breeze picked up, filling the silence with the constant rustle of leaves and branches. The city below them never dimmed although the night stretched on. It actually seemed to be getting brighter, but they were in the dark, under the cover of trees and foliage.

"Hey," Eddy turned slightly to face Edd, never taking his hand off his waist. He had an expression on his face that Edd had never seen before but oddly recognized; a hopeful, longing look tainted with fear of uncertainty. He caught his breath and froze in place while he paused, their faces only inches apart.

Edd made a fist with the hand on Eddy's chest and pulled him by his shirt, making a noise of surprise when Eddy matched his ferocity and pressed their lips together. They meshed together with unbridled passion, their arms curling around each other's bodies as they breathed heavily into each other's cheeks. Within seconds Eddy broke the barrier with his tongue, which Edd gratefully accepted and made haste to return the favor. Their union produced a mixture of wine, artificial grapes, and weed, which was decidedly delicious. The hood of the car creaked as their legs entangled, their bodies pressing tightly to one another's.

Eddy suddenly stiffened and pulled away. For a second, the expression on his face was mirrored by Edd's: brazened lust and unbridled excitement. Edd smiled dreamily, but Eddy's smile began to wane. "What are we doing?" He asked as he began to sweat. "Is this even… Okay?"

Edd grinned wider and shot him a look of disbelief. "Since when do you care if something's okay or not?"

Eddy started to pull away, which was difficult because Edd followed him. "Since when do you not?" He suddenly noticed the bulge in his lap. He couldn't even remember getting aroused, it must have all happened so quickly. As casually as he could, he pulled his shirt to cover it. Luckily he was wearing his oversized t-shirt.

Edd noticed what he was doing and grabbed his hand, gently lifting to reveal what Eddy was trying to conceal, and he didn't stop until his belly was exposed to the moonlight. The t-shirt wrinkled up on his chest. Eddy passively moved his hands away, breathing heavily, unsure of what to expect. His questions were answered when Edd began to run his fingers along the trail of dark hairs that ran along the center of his belly, below his navel. Eddy bit down on his lower lip and he watched with wide eyes. When Edd began pecking small wet kisses along his neck, he closed his eyes and stifled a needy moan. Like a chain reaction, Edd moaned quietly against Eddy's neck. It wasn't long before his other hand traveled into his own lap and started to knead the length of the tent he was pitching.

When Eddy opened his eyes and saw one hand in Edd's lap and the other teetering on the edge of his jeans, he quickly reached out and grasped both of Edd's hands. "Wait," he said sternly, "it ain't right…"

Edd seemed to snap out of a daze. "What? Why?"

"I'm really high." He nervously ran his fingers through his hair, his fingers shaking slightly. "You're drunk. We're like…"

"…we're taking advantage of each other." Edd sullenly finished Eddy's sentence and dropped his hands to his sides. "I'm… I'm so, s-so sorry, Eddy..."

Eddy leaned forward, hunching over his lap as he rested his elbows on his knees. He watched as Edd teared up and crossed his arms over his chest. He wasn't sure what was going on in his head but it must have been a war zone, because his face cycled through a plethora of intense emotions.

"Can we, u-um," his voice was trembling terribly, and he couldn't even look Eddy in the eyes, "can we leave?"

Eddy slid off the hood of the car without another thought, no questions asked. "Yeah..."

And just like that, they left. As they traveled to their shared apartment, not a word was said between the two. Eddy tried his best to focus on the road and ignore the paranoia of being pulled over while he was high, all the while listening to Edd sniffling quietly on the other side of the car. The air between them was thick and stagnant, and Eddy regretted his strained ability to multitask while he was high and driving, and wished he could engage in some sort of conversation about what they had just experienced together, to at least bring Edd out of the emotional slump he seemed to have cornered himself in… but Eddy stayed silent. They could discuss it at the apartment.

At least, that's what he thought.

When they entered the front door, Edd made a beeline towards the wine cabinet. He grabbed a bottle without even glancing at any of the labels or anything; he even forgot to close the cabinet door behind him, and without looking towards Eddy's direction, closed himself off in his bedroom for the night.

Eddy slumped down on the futon, staring unblinkingly towards Edd's door. He was high, frustrated, and sad. He shook his head in an attempt to clear his thoughts and then he rubbed his forehead while squeezing his eyes shut. Maybe after a good night's sleep, everything would make more sense in the morning.


	3. Chapter 3

When Eddy woke up, the smell of burnt toast lingered in the air. He assumed Edd woke up before him, as has the past week they had been living together, but it was uncharacteristic of him to burn his toast. Sleepily, he sat up and looked around the living room. "Double D?" he called out groggily, rubbing his temples. There was no reply.

The room was cold. Really cold. "Double D!" his voice was louder that time, but again, there was no response. It was decided: he wasn't home.

Eddy assumed he went to school, or work, or whatever the hell he did when he wasn't home. It wasn't until he was in the bathroom pulling his dick out that he realized he had no idea what Edd did when he was gone. He always assumed, but now he actually wanted to know. In fact, he was starting to get a little worried.

"Heh," Eddy chuckled, shaking his head. Worried. Yeah, right.

He was brushing his teeth when he heard the sound of the bolt on the front door sliding, and he bolted around the corner in time to see the sight of the back of Edd's sockhat and the door closing again.

"What the fug—" Eddy said through a mouth of foam. Why would he just open the door just to leave again? Did he forget something?

Without thinking about it, he ran to the window and peeked through the blinds, seeing Edd walk out into the parking lot. He was carrying his shoulder bag and making his way to the main road, towards the bus stop. Eddy quickly spat and threw his toothbrush in its holster, fumbling across the apartment to grab his jeans as fast as he could. He shoved his sockless feet into his shoes, huffing as he did so, and slapped his hand on the table where his keys should be. They weren't.

"FUCK!" he screamed, making hasty glances around the table, around the chairs, around the room. They were nowhere to be seen. "WHY DOES THIS ALWAYS HAPPEN TO ME?!"

As he clambered around the apartment moving things this way and that, out of the corner of his eye he noticed something bright and yellow. On the wall, beside the door, hung Eddy's keychain from a thumbtack. Above it was a sticky note that said: "They were in the couch."

Eddy's cheeks reddened. "What a jerk," he said quietly, snatching them off the wall so hard the thumbtack flew across the room.

The door slammed behind him hard enough it could have awakened the neighbors, but he didn't care. He jumped down the steps and bolted across the parking lot, panting as he approached the main road with his keys in his hand. He walked in the direction of the bus stop, and when the landscape made way, he could see Edd standing patiently next to the sign with a book in his hand.

"Double D!" Eddy yelled over the sound of the traffic. Edd heard him. He looked up and made a face of pure horror.

"W-what are you—why are you—Eddy?"

"Hey," Eddy said between heavy breaths after he jogged up next to him. Jogging wasn't his strong suit. "What're ya takin' the bus for? I got a car, y'know."

Edd's fingers clenched tightly on the book he had in his hands. The pages between the bindings pressed to a T. "I… It's economically efficient."

A small, semi-relieved grin graced the corner of Eddy's lips. "That's stupid, just let me take you."

Edd looked away, staring at the garbage on the side of the street where an army of ants were claiming a soda can as its own. "I like taking the bus," he said quietly, so quietly Eddy almost didn't hear him.

"Wha…Liar!" Eddy exclaimed, his keys jangling as he shook his fist. "Nobody likes taking the bus!"

Edd cleared his throat and straightened his back. He adjusted the strap of his bag on his shoulder and looked down the opposite side of the street. Eddy scowled, feeling ignored.

"FINE," he spun around with a huff, "Do whatever you want, I don't care."

After taking a few steps, Eddy noticed the bus approaching slowly. It grinded to a stop beside him, the gears screeching loudly before a loud hiss could be heard. He almost stopped in his tracks but forced himself to keep walking, to not look back. He heard the heavy thudding noise of the doors opening and closing, and the loud roar of the engine as the bus took off again, but he kept his eyes forward, even though they felt wet for some reason.

Emotion welled up in his chest, but he stifled it with an angry scowl. "Screw him," he growled under his breath as he marched back towards the apartment.

As he walked over a patch of grass, he heard the sound of a twig snapping behind him and he darted a look over his shoulder. There stood Edd, looking up embarrassedly with his book clutched tightly in his arms.

Before Eddy could say anything, he spoke up, "W-we should probably have a discussion about… about what happened."

Eddy made a face that said, 'Ya think?' He started to walk towards the parking lot, to where his car was, while Edd followed him sheepishly. The car chirped when it unlocked, and the two ducked inside and plopped down in the seats. Eddy immediately rolled down the window and pulled a box of cigarettes out of his pocket. He never made a move to start the car.

Edd fastened his seatbelt and hugged his bag in his lap, staring at Eddy with wide eyes, as if he was waiting for the right opening to start talking about something serious. He waited until Eddy lit his cigarette and took a long drag. "So… last night…" he started, already beginning to sweat.

"Coffee?" Eddy asked, switching the ignition.

"Um," Edd couldn't bring himself to lie again. The bus always came forty-five minutes early, so he had time for coffee. "S-sure."

"What time do you have to be at work?" Edd asked, taking a sip of his warm beverage.

They were still in Eddy's car, relaxing and sipping their morning nourishment. Eddy was practically itching to talk about last night, but he was also facing down a mountain of fear at the same time. He anxiously rubbed the spot where Edd had been stroking his leg less than 24 hours ago. "Not 'til later," he said, "It's a short shift today. You?"

Edd shook his head, "I don't have nor do I need a job, Eddy. My grants pay for most of my needs."

Eddy raised an eyebrow and finished swallowing the coffee in his mouth. "They pay for all that wine, too?"

"No," Edd murmured, "I've had to… well, sometimes when I need a little extra spending money I… well, please don't judge me, Eddy. I sometimes, um… sell… ideas."

"Ideas?"

"Schematics," Edd corrected himself, slightly worried the phrase would be taken the wrong way, "for innovations of various sorts."

Eddy still wasn't sure what he was talking about, but it sounded pretty rich. "Why don'tcha just buy a car then, Mister Fancy Inventor?"

Edd blushed and set his coffee in the cup holder. "I-I told you, Eddy, taking the bus is economically beneficial!"

Eddy laughed and set aside his own coffee as well. "Sure." He was convinced Edd simply had no self control when it came to his wine budget, but didn't want to press the issue. It was early. Speaking of wine…

"So, speaking of having no self control-" Eddy started to say, but Edd interrupted him:

"When were we speaking of that!"

"-last night…" Eddy finished, as well as answered, and he gave the man beside him the slyest look of all sly looks.

Edd huffed with annoyance and shoved his hands in his lap, grasping onto the seat underneath his bag. He glared at the dash. It was his idea to talk about it, but he couldn't follow through. He could feel Eddy's sly grin burning into the side of his face and he blushed fiercely. "I—I'm sorry," he blurted out, "When I drink a lot, I become… very…"

He left the sentence there, slightly hoping yet dreading that Eddy would finish it, but he never did. Instead, Eddy chuckled quietly beside him without a single taunting word to follow, just a soft, knowing chuckle. Edd's ears steamed. "Well, y-you know." He couldn't look at Eddy. He wouldn't look at Eddy.

"I know." Eddy said huskily, propping his wrist up on the steering wheel. "Hey… Double D…"

"Y-yes?" Edd looked at him, burning with curiosity for what Eddy might say.

Eddy gave him a half-lidded smile. "Your face is really red."

Edd's breath escaped him and came out in an embarrassed whine. He grasped his hat and pulled it down over his face. "I-It's my blood pressure!" He sputtered through the thin fabric, "Th-the caffeine!"

Eddy leaned over and grabbed the hem of his sockhat where it folded up beneath his chin. He gently pulled it upwards until their eyes met. Edd's eyes widened when his dark sanctuary was unveiled and he was faced with Eddy's prying grin. Strangely enough, instead of yelping or crying, a small crooked smile broke through his lips, and he found himself smiling giddily, leaning back into the seat while Eddy lifted his hat up to the normal position.

"It's not 'cus of the coffee, is it." Eddy said quietly, putting his weight on one arm that pressed into the section between them. Edd slowly shook his head, unable to tear his eyes away from Eddy's.

"You l-liked it," Eddy tried to disguise his nervousness, but he gulped when his throat went dry, "didn't you, Sockhead."

For a minute, Edd only stared at him, eyes wide and face as red as could be. Eddy could see a bead of sweat roll down from underneath his hat as his lips trembled with utmost nervousness. Suddenly he lurched around and opened the door, making a hard jerking motion as he tried to jump out of the car… but the seatbelt locked him in place.

"Drat!" He yelled, swinging back around to unclick the seatbelt but it gave Eddy enough time to grab the door handle and his arm forcefuly.

"Hey!" Eddy said, pulling him back and trying to hold him down, "What the hell, Double D!"

Edd finally resorted to tears and curled into a ball against the inside of the car door. Eddy silently watched with an annoyed look on his face as he blubbered and sniffled. He gave a frustrated sigh and plopped down in his own seat again, staring out the windshield into nothingness, brow furrowed, waiting impatiently for the other man to emotionally drain himself. Edd's weeping died down after a few minutes; he leaned pathetically against the inside of the car window, his face tear-stained and exhausted.

"I love you," Edd whispered with wet lips. A quiet smacking noise followed, and Eddy's eyes darted over to see Edd covering his mouth as he stared, terrified, at the dash. He also noticed him moving his right arm, as if his hand were going for the door handle again.

"Don't," Eddy said loudly, sitting up, "Stop tryin' to run away!" He smirked as Edd lowered his hand, although he was still unable to meet his eyes. "You know I'm just gonna catch ya anyway."

He nodded slowly and lowered the hand from his mouth. "I… That's why I… had to... I knew it-it was only a-a-a matter of time until…" Suddenly, he heaved a burdensome sob that rocked his body forward, "Ohhh, I-I don't," fresh tears streamed down his face, "I-I-I'm going to throw up."

The door swung open and Eddy quickly unbuckled Edd so he could lean out of the car and vomit. The sounds of liquid splashing against the concrete made Eddy flinch, and before he could start gagging himself, he reached over to grab the back of Edd's hat before it could swing down into the line of fire.

"I'm fine," Edd waved him away, still hovering over the spot and panting heavily. As he spat out whatever he could, Eddy bolted out of the car and ran into the establishment beside them for a minute, emerging with a new beverage in his hand.

"Here," He offered the drink to Edd, whom was wiping his mouth with a tissue, "it's water."

Edd gratefully accepted. "Thank you, Eddy." He took a few sips and sighed, the relief was soulfully refreshing. "Oh, I should clean this up."

Eddy bolted around to the other side of the car and jumped in, turning the ignition. "Get in," he ordered, already putting the car in reverse. Edd did as he was told, looking a tad confused until Eddy started backing up.

"B-but, Eddy—"

"It's fine," Eddy replied hurriedly, already about to turn into the main road, "it's outside, nobody cares." He quickly made a right turn, speeding away down the road.

"Eddy, wait! My school is in the other direction!"

Eddy growled loudly and slowed the car, looking around for a place to turn around. As Eddy pulled the car into some random stranger's parking lot, Edd took a silent moment to sip at the offering of kindness Eddy had given him. The coolness worked wonders on his ragged throat. He kept glancing over at Eddy as he drove, cautiously watching, waiting for him to say something in regards to his revelation. Eddy seemed to be thinking, and it was driving him crazy with anxiety.

So when Eddy spoke up, Edd jumped a little in his seat.

"You know I –hahahh.." Eddy paused as his breath hitched up with nervousness. He cleared his throat and tried to make it look like he was focused on driving. "l-l-love you too, right?"

"Oh!" Edd gasped as he spilled the rest of the water on his lap. In his surprise, the cup slipped from his grasp and landed on the floor, but not without spilling the contents all over his perfectly ironed slacks. He grasped his head in panic. "I don't have enough time to change!"

The car was pulled to the side of the road, panic lights blinking. Edd and Eddy exchanged panic-stricken looks and Eddy grabbed a fistful of his shirt and tugged; "You want my shirt to dry off with?" Edd paused for a moment to consider, intrigued and pleased by the idea of Eddy ripping his shirt off as a favor to him, but in theory, it would be a fruitless effort. "Thank you Eddy, but this just won't do. I'll just have to be late." He was still very nervous and worked up from their confessions. "Can you take me back to the apartment so I can change?"

As Eddy started driving towards the apartment, he kept stealing glances over at the seat next to him, where Edd was pulling up the pants in his lap the best he could to get it to dry. He seemed very flustered and exhausted, which gave Eddy an idea.

"Y'know," he rubbed the steering wheel with his thumb nervously, "You should probably stay home today, since you're pukin' and all. You could be sick..."

Edd raised his brows, but he didn't respond right away. He stared at his bag, which he shoved to the floor when he spilled the water, fearing he'd get his books wet. "Well…" he started to say, squeezing the fabric of his slacks in his hands. "I suppose I wouldn't want to spread anything. Perhaps you're right." He paused for a moment while he heard Eddy sigh. "Perhaps you should call out of work, as well. You might've contracted it since we… l-last night."

"Yeah," Eddy agreed, flashing a smile, "I uh, I was planning on it, actually."

The two shared a knowing glance, biting their lips with repressed excitement.


	4. Chapter 4

The rest of the ride was silent and quick. Their chemistry was igniting. After parking the car, they jumped out of their seats and scurried back into the apartment, unable to hide their eager smiles while the air practically sparkled around them. Eddy seemed to struggle with the keys and took longer than usual to unlock the door before nervously fumbling into the apartment.

As soon as Edd entered behind him, Eddy gave him an uneasy look over his shoulder before making a run for the bathroom and closing the door behind him. Edd seemed confused for a moment, but shrugged and began putting away his bag and school things.

In the bathroom, Eddy hunched over the sink while scrubbing his face. He dried his cheeks on his sleeves and used the rest to slick his sideburns and fix his hair. He grabbed the bottle of mouthwash and swished. He applied deodorant. He fumbled through the cabinet for his prized roll-on cologne only to find that it had fallen out and rolled into the sink. He rolled the cologne over his neck, behind his ears, and screwed the cap back on. For a moment he deliberated as he held the cologne in his hand, and then lifted up his shirt to apply some of it to his chest. He closed the cap again. He deliberated for a minute more and slowly unscrewed the cap, before unzipping his pants. The little metal roller ball proved to be very cold.

Eddy was still adjusting his shirt when he exited the bathroom, and he stopped dead in his tracks to see Edd reclining on the couch in a startling position that was very unlike his character. His knees opened widely, confidently. His arms were splayed out along the frame of the couch behind him, shoulders sloped backwards.

Eddy smiled awkwardly. "What's up?" he asked, shoving his hands in his pockets.

Edd smiled. "I was waiting for you…"

Eddy sat down on the couch, next to Edd, and tried to mimic his posture. Eddy wasn't sure how Edd could be so calm and confident now after their discussion in the car, but he couldn't say he didn't like it. Edd slowly scooted closer until he could rest his head on his shoulder. Eddy tried to remain calm while he let his arm slide down around Edd's shoulder. They stayed like that for a few silent minutes, and then Edd spoke up.

"So…" his voice was quiet, and a little unsure, "you're…okay with," he placed a hand on Eddy's knee, "this?"

Eddy scoffed and shrugged, trying to mask his nervousness. "Y-yeah, sure." Eddy fell silent and tried to return Edd's pleased smile. When Edd started rubbing Eddy's thigh, Eddy twitched and grunted, shooting Edd a nervous glance. "It's kinda new."

Edd looked surprised and jerked his hand away saying; "I-I apologize, Eddy. I know you value your personal space. I'll try to ask-"

"No-" Eddy grabbed Edd's hand and placed it back on his thigh. "I'm n-nervous," he admitted, feeling blood rush to his cheeks, "but I like it."

Edd blushed as well, and relaxed against Eddy again. This time, he kept his hand perfectly still. "I don't mind, Eddy. I've been thinking about, um, us… and I honestly think it would be wise to take things slowly."

Eddy raised an eyebrow. "Oh, really? You were achin' to get in my pants last night."

Edd gasped, his blush deepening. "Untrue!"

"You would'a slipped your hand in my pants if I hadn't said somethin'." Eddy was smiling. He wouldn't say he didn't like it, but he also liked keeping Edd on his toes. It was a guilty pleasure.

Edd shook his head, sitting up and rubbing his arm. "I would have done no such thing! I'll admit I was a little buzzed and a tad on the amorous side, but I specifically remember that I was only trying to tease you-" He made a noise of surprise and clapped his hands over his mouth.

After a moment of shock, Eddy laughed and placed a hand on the small of Edd's back, which jumped under his touch. "Hold on," he whispered, leaning in towards him, his grin turning devilish, "you were trying to do what?"

"W-what?" Edd feigned ignorance, looking like a mouse caught by the tail. He spoke through his fingers, trembling slightly, as Eddy squinted at him.

"I'm not deaf, Double D." Eddy said slowly, sadistically. He leaned in a little closer. "I heard what ya said. I just wanna hear ya say it again."

The twitching corners of Edd's lips appeared behind his hands as he smiled nervously, casting his eyes downwards in embarrassment. He let out a shaky giggle behind his fingers. He was so flushed even his ears had turned red.

"I, uh… um…hmmm…" His voice was extra nasally when he was so nervous. "I… I… w-wanted you to feel… good… Eddy, s-so I… I, um," Eddy was listening intently, and even went as far as place his own hand on Edd's knee while he sputtered out his confession. As he spoke, Eddy would slide his fingers on the inside of Edd's thigh, just like how Edd had done to his last night. "I... was…t-trying to… to, uhm… t-to, to t-t-tease you…B-but I'm sorry I put you on the spot like that! It was selfish of me to not consider how y—"

Eddy interrupted Edd's apology with a forceful kiss. Edd let out a shocked hum but quickly melted into the motion. He reached out touch the top of Eddy's hand with his own, feeling it as it gently trembled. The kiss became less forceful as Edd complied to Eddy's leadership, though as soon as he let his guard down, Eddy let go of his thigh for a split second before slipping it into the loose leg hole of his shorts, touching his bare thigh where the edge of his thigh-high sock ended and the hairs began. Edd broke the kiss with a loud gasp, catching Eddy's eyes, which watched him with careful concern.

"Too far?" Eddy whispered, pulling his hand out.

Edd looked at him with bewilderment for a moment before shoving his hands in his lap and quickly unzipping his shorts. He slid them off without a word or explanation, swiftly folded them, and then set them on the ottoman.

"Eddy," he said somberly, even though he was sitting on the couch in his underwear, which Eddy decided didn't look good on him. "I feel as if it should have been obvious before, but in case it isn't clear right now… I really want to… uhm," he paused, and Eddy watched a bead of sweat trickle down his temple. He pressed his fingers together as his eyes darted around the room and he clicked his tongue. "You see, the reason I enjoy a few glasses of wine every day, it's because… I… I really want the uh… p-personal… connection that people sh-share when they ha…" he paused to gulp. He met Eddy's eyes and licked his lips, "have sex."

Eddy took a deep breath through his nostrils. He bit his lip, trying not to laugh at Edd's confession, which he wouldn't necessarily consider a confession because he had a feeling it was a possibility for the longest time. It was just very surreal that the feeling was mutual, and that it was absolutely true that Edd wanted the same thing he did. It wasn't a possibility anymore, but a reality, and he was beside himself with blind excitement.

"G-good." That was all Eddy could say in response. He looked away from Edd as he tried to think of something else to say, since he was just thrown way off his game. His eyes settled on a picture on the other wall, of a lighthouse in the dark. His brows furrowed as a thought crossed his mind. "Uh… how, how long have you been feelin' this way?"

Edd glanced at his recycling bin, where there were bottles stacked on bottles; his personal pile of shame. "A long time," he said quietly, almost sadly.

"Is it just…" Eddy was flustered, and he scoffed as his eyes darted across the room, away from the mesmerizing yet dark picture. "I mean, i-is it really 'cus of me, or… 'cus you're not with anyone at all?"

"Huhm-hm." Edd chuckled dryly and rubbed his eyes. "Do you remember… the night I had asked you to come over, but you needed to cancel because Ed had those monster truck tickets?" He gripped his elbows and stared at the carpet, chewing on his bottom lip. "I had bought a bottle of wine. I had planned on sharing a lot of personal feelings with you that night. I spent hours trying to write everything down, deciding what to say and how to say it… I wasted so much paper, Eddy… When you texted me to say you couldn't make it, I thought it was fate! I was already on the fence about telling you in the first place, so I cried for a bit and I meditated on it," He paused when he saw Eddy's reaction, which was full of regret. "I-I decided not to say anything, and I drank the entire bottle that night. I don't normally believe in fate, but it's quite easy to do that when you've intoxicated yourself with an entire bottle of wine."

Even though Edd finished with an attempted smile, Eddy couldn't help but frown at him. He squeezed Edd's hand, a little roughly. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Edd shrugged and glanced away. "I didn't want you to know how upset I was. I didn't want you to know about my feelings."

Eddy continued to frown. "We could'a saved so much time, y'know?"

"I'm sorry," Edd said sheepishly, wringing his fingers together, "but… you didn't say anything either, Eddy."

Eddy's frown loosened and he crossed his arms defensively. "I-I'm not a touchy-feely kinda guy, Double D, you know that."

Edd scowled. "That doesn't absolve you of feelings, Eddy!"

"You know what, D; you have NEVER," Eddy was animated, exaggerating his voice with hand motions, "EVER clued me in on anything. I, at least, flirted with you. A lot! All the time! I dropped so many hints, I thought you were either clueless or grossed out by me. And I know you're really freakin' smart so it's hard for me to believe you'd be clueless, so… you can't blame ME!"

Edd sighed. "You're right Eddy, and I don't blame you. I never did; if anything, I'm more to blame anyway. I just thought… I guess I thought your flirtatious behavior was just a part of your personality."

"Oh," Eddy smiled sarcastically, "because I flirt with everyone all the time, right..."

"No," Edd said uncomfortably, "I-I guess I was wrong… and perhaps I can be a bit… aloof… sometimes." He glanced over at Eddy who was nodding in agreement. His frown deepened and grasped Eddy's hands, holding them in his own. "I'm sorry. I suppose I allowed my guilt and fear to overshadow our relationship."

Eddy squeezed Edd's hands; "It's cool. I uh… I guess I could'a said somethin'. Really, it's kinda…" He swallowed, "both our faults…"

The two smiled at each other sincerely, cautiously, and Eddy never let go of Edd's hands even as he began moving to stand up. He ignored his questioning stare with a cheeky grin and pulled him towards the bedroom...

He sat on the edge of the bed and Edd stopped in front of him, standing between his knees. They were both bright red in the face as Eddy leaned forward and kissed Edd's belly, pulling him a few inches closer as he put his hands on his thighs an pulled him forward. Edd hummed anxiously and grasped his shirt in handfuls, watching Eddy intently as he moved his lips around his navel. He began breathing heavily, in short bursts, when Eddy's lips started to move downwards towards the edge of the underwear. His chin brushed against the rising bulge of Edd's semi-hard erection, making the man elicit a small, stifled moan.

"I've been wantin' to do this for a long time," he said huskily, planting a kiss on the clothed mound, getting another stifled moan from above. He hooked his fingers around the elastic band and shot a glance up at Edd, who was looking down at him with wide, expectant eyes. Edd nodded his approval and bit his lip nervously, watching Eddy slowly slide the undergarment down his hips until his penis slipped over the top. Edd grasped his hands above his chest and huffed through his gap, biting down on his lip painfully hard, his eyes filled with anxiety. Eddy recognized the expression and smiled up at him. "I'm really hard right now," he whispered heatedly, stroking Edd's thighs with his hands as he watched him grow.

"R-really?" Edd's face lit up with both hope and embarrassment.

"Y-yeah," Eddy unzipped himself and grunted as he struggled to shimmy his jeans down his thighs. He cleared his throat and slowly leaned back, and Edd watched him as he displayed the tent in his boxers. "See?" He leaned on his elbow and used his free hand to stroke his own shaft and grip his balls through the satin fabric. After a few seconds, Eddy quickly glanced up at Edd nervously, and he took a sharp breath in before reaching in through the slit in his boxers and pulling out his dick in all its nude glory. He watched Edd's reactions, whose own cock began twitching beneath him. His chest heaved slightly as his fingers travelled south and he started to touch himself. Eddy watched Edd's fingers as they slid back and forth on his shaft; he watched how he touched himself, what he liked. Eddy chuckled awkwardly and gave his own shaft a hard stroke upwards, causing a bead of fluid to rest at the tip. Edd moaned, and out of the corner of Eddy's eye, he could see his knees shaking slightly.

Eddy moved his knees to the side and grabbed Edd by the waist, catching him off guard. "Get on the bed," he instructed. As Edd wasted no time in doing what Eddy asked of him, Eddy grinned. He laid on his side next to Edd, his face close to his ribs. Edd was still breathing heavily as he kicked off his underwear and slipped out of his shirt. He rested with his legs closed and elbows at his waist, hands rolling against each other nervously. Eddy was just throwing his own shirt across the room when he noticed Edd was grinding his rear against the bed beneath him. It was almost unnoticeable, but Eddy noticed. "Excited?" He asked slyly, placing a hand on Edd's hip.

"I've never been so excited." Edd answered with a wide grin.

Eddy gently kissed his arm and moved his hand, which had been placed on Edd's hip, down his pelvis and stopped at the base of his penis, in the small patch of pubic hairs that he kept neatly trimmed. He gently massaged the area with the tips of his fingers, and it drove Edd crazy. He panted and groaned, clawing at the sheet with one hand and grasping at Eddy's back with the other. Eddy could feel his hips grinding upwards against his hand, in a desperate attempt for more friction, more anything. He grasped the shaft upright between his thumb and forefinger, stroking only slightly and relishing Edd's desperate whining.

Silently, he slid his other hand between them so he could touch himself at the same time. Eddy kissed the side of Edd's chest as he stroked his own cock as well, moaning through his lips at the sheer pleasure of holding Edd's rock hard erection in one hand while he stroked himself with the other. Edd glanced down and noticed what he was doing, and the sight itself was enough to make him moan as well.

"Please, Eddy," he whispered with urgency, rolling his hips, "m-more…"

Eddy's lips found his nipple and he flicked it with his tongue as his hand complied to Edd's request. He gave him a few slow strokes before using the palm of his hand to spread the precum at the tip and lubricate the swollen head. Edd moaned loudly and pumped into Eddy's hand persistently, but Eddy relaxed his grip, and giggled when he made a noise of frustration.

"You're so hot," he said, his hand abandoning Edd's shaft and moving downwards to grip his balls. His other arm moved deftly, elbow bobbing back and forth as he stroked his own cock with a feverish pace. "I feel like I could cum any minute now."

Edd gasped and, as he watched with heavy eyelids and his mouth ajar, quickly grabbed his own neglected erection. His hand went to work quickly and he eagerly filled the room with short, passionate moans. Eddy suddenly sat up, redirecting Edd's attention as he moved to lean over his lap. Edd's hands froze in place and all he could see was the back of Eddy's head, but he definitely felt something hot and wet lap at the head of his cock.

"Oh, Eddy!" He cried out, the back of his head hitting the mattress as he stiffened up, enslaved by the incredibly sensual stimulation.

"Mmm," Eddy smacked his lips, "I like that… when you say my name."

Edd panted and smiled, reaching up to touch his warm cheek. "E-Eddy… please."

Eddy moaned happily and placed a series of sopping wet kisses around the head before swirling his tongue over the area. He affixed his lips around the rim and sucked, sliding the tip of his tongue into the crevice, trying to taste Edd's flavor. After giving the shaft a good few strokes and caressing the tip with his tongue he was rewarded for his efforts. He moaned deeply, and increased his own pace on himself when Edd returned the moan and began writhing beneath him.

"Ahh, Eddy, haahhh, ahmm," Edd tried to speak over his heavy breaths and moans, "I…"

The loud sound of a motor made the two jump in surprise. Eddy scrambled to the edge of the bed and scooped up his jeans, pulling the phone out of the pocket. Checking the screen, he read the text message out loud: "Come in now or you're fired." He scowled, dropped the phone in his lap and rubbing his forehead. "Shit."

Edd sat up, looking at Eddy with concern. "What's going on? You have to go in?"

"Yeah," Eddy ran his fingers through his hair, giving Edd a look of sympathy. "And I gotta go now."

As Eddy pulled on his boxers, shifting his erection to the side uncomfortably, Edd grabbed the sheet and pulled it over his lap. "Is your boss angry with you for calling in sick?"

"No no no," Eddy replied, zipping up his jeans and looking around for his shirt, "I didn't even call yet. He just texts that to everyone when it's really busy." After tugging his shirt down over himself, he sat next to Edd on the bed and kissed him on the cheek. "I'll be back as fast as I can, so… wait for me alright, D? Should only be a few hours."

Edd smiled wearily and nodded, though a burning hatred for Eddy's boss whom he's never even met began to simmer in his gut. "Don't worry, Eddy, I understand."

Eddy grinned and ran out the room saying, "See ya," but after a few seconds he peeked back around the corner, half of his face hidden by the edge of the door. "L-love you," he said quietly.

Edd pulled his knees to his chest and hugged them, trying to hide his smile as he replied; "love you, too…"

He sat in the bed for a few minutes, his mind still racing after all the recent events and his rapidly escalating relationship with Eddy. Although their personal time was interrupted, and quite rudely, he still treasured the feelings and clung to their novelty, excitement bubbling up inside of him as he anxiously thought about what was in store when Eddy did return home from work. Suddenly he realized, he never heard Eddy leave. In fact, he could hear some shuffling around in the living room.

"Th-they're on the kitchen counter!" Edd called out before hearing the keys slide off the counter and Eddy thanking him before running out the door.


	5. Chapter 5

Edd reclined lazily on the couch, his arm hanging over the side as his hand swirled a half-empty glass of wine. His head back, he stared up at the ceiling blankly while the television cycled through uneventful commercials; the current one being for a new depression medication. "How apropos." He said softly, to no one in particular.

The seconds ticked by; Edd literally counted each soft clicking sound made by the clock on the wall adjacent. In his other hand, was his cell phone. No new messages.

There was no way the shop was still open at this time. Who needs their car worked on at one in the morning? A large, dark cloud suddenly loomed over Edd. What if he works at a chop shop? He never considered that Eddy would be wrapped up in something like that, though it was not outside of his nature to get involved in something illegal. If Eddy ever got in trouble with the law, would that affect his credibility at the university? What if he were, god forbid, expelled?

Suddenly the door swung open, and Eddy fell into the apartment, groaning loudly and collapsing on the carpet. Edd bolted upwards and joined Eddy on the floor, touching his forehead with his hand. "Are you alright?" He asked, stroking his cheek. "What happened?"

Eddy unzipped his jeans, which were now very dirty. "It was awful," he said hoarsely, lifting up his shirt and straining to rip the dirty thing off of him, "so many stupid pricks, hasslin' me over labor rates, wastin' my time. Then we had-" he grunted as he pulled his socks off, "to clean the inventory 'cus there was an issue in the storeroom…" Eddy trailed off as Edd pressed a finger against his chest, rubbing away the sweat and playing with his chest hair.

"I missed you," Edd said with a crooked smile before taking a sip of his wine.

Eddy craned his neck to see wine and hummed disapprovingly. "How many?"

Edd frowned. "Just one."

"Bottle?"

Edd blushed and spoke into his glass, "Yes…'

Eddy sighed and relaxed. "It's fine. I'm exhausted anyway. I just wanna go to sleep."

They chilled out on the carpet for a few minutes in a hesitant silence, Edd sadly watching the wine as he swirled it in his hand and Eddy staring up at the ceiling with sleepy, half-lidded eyes. Edd looked down at him and frowned, "Would you like me to help you to the bed?"

"Y-your bed?" Eddy was shocked, and he darted his eyes to meet Edd's.

Edd smiled, blushing. "Well, you don't need to sleep on the futon anymore, obviously…u-unless you wanted to."

Eddy grinned and went quiet for a moment, looking away. He rubbed his hands on the sides of his thighs as he spaced out, chuckling. Edd noticed the movement and glanced down at Eddy's lap, watching. They were both chuckling, quietly, exchanging glances of a satisfactory excitement that the two of them shared. Eddy suddenly clicked his tongue and tiredly shoved Edd with his elbow. "You're really gonna let me in your bed lookin' like this?"

Edd frowned as his eyes traced over the various black smudges of presumably oil and sludge that covered his arms. There was even one on his neck. He gulped, and locked eyes with Eddy. "I can change the sheets in the morning."

Eddy laughed as he sat up and waved him off. "Whatever," he said, as he grunted and tried to stand up. Once on his feet, he wobbled a little in place, hands in the air for balance. "I'll take a shower. I don't like sleepin' like this anyway."

Edd stood up, sat his glass on the side table, and helped Eddy to the bathroom, lightly rubbing his back while they walked. Once inside, he ducked in front of him to turn it on for him. He played with the knob until the water was the perfect temperature, and when he turned around he realized that Eddy had slipped out of his boxers and was leaning against the wall.

As Eddy walked out of the bathroom towards the bedroom, Edd followed with a small smile on his face, slowly growing as they neared the bed. Eddy stood in the middle of Edd's bedroom and scrubbed the back of his neck and hairline with the towel, noticing Edd's smile and awkwardly returning it. "What?"

Edd opened his robe, hunching up his shoulders as it slid down his arms. He folded it over his arm and used his other hand to slide his boxers over his hips until they fell to the floor. He picked them up and slung them over the robe. "I usually wear pajamas, but…" Eddy smiled at him and sat down on the edge of the bed, throwing the towel across the room. Edd went after it and folded it up, setting it on the side table along with his own clothes. "I'd like to think this is a special circumstance."

The two of them slipped under the covers and Edd turned off the lamp. It wasn't long until, in the absolute darkness, he could hear the sound of Eddy giggling.

"Remember when we had sleepovers?"

Edd smiled. "Remember _that one_ sleepover?"

"Mm-hm…" Eddy rolled over to his side and touched Edd's arm. "you're a good actor."

"I was terrified!" Edd laughed, also turning to his side. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he could see the faint outline of Eddy's face. He had closed his eyes but had the biggest smile.

"It was your fault in the first place," he said, "who moans in their sleep like that?"

"You are mistaken." Edd said, interlacing his fingers with Eddy's. "You were masturbating long before I um… had… did I say it was a nightmare?"

"Mmm…" Eddy agreed sleepily, nuzzling the pillow. He was the first to fall asleep, but it wasn't long after that Edd joined him.

…..

Eddy woke to the feeling of pressure in his lap. He groaned and cracked his eyes open, seeing Edd hunched over above him, straddling him by the hips. He reached up and rubbed his eyes. "Double D?"

"Yes?" Edd responded, rolling his hands over Eddy's chest

It took Eddy a moment but he soon realized that they were still naked and now pressed together. He jumped in place a little, and looked up at Edd with a nervous smile. "Uh, what's up?"

The reaction didn't go by unnoticed, and Edd counteracted with concern. "Oh, I'm sorry- your personal space, right?" He asked, getting ready to move.

"No, it's fine!" Eddy quickly placed his hands on Edd's knees, holding him in place. "It's just surprising is all. I don't want ya to move."

Edd smiled and coyly pulled his hands behind him so he could lean back, his hands on Eddy's thighs. He giggled when Eddy's hands roamed upwards, over the fine hair of his thighs to his hips, where they rested comfortably. "It's a little…" he started to say, but paused, hesitant.

"Embarrassing?" Eddy finished with a modest smile.

"Y-yeah," Edd laughed dryly and glanced to the side. "Heh, I don't know why…"

"Yeah," Eddy grunted in agreement as he shifted to lift himself up, resting on his elbows. "It's kinda weird, but…" he paused when their eyes met, and they both blushed and giggled for a moment. "Heheheh, hey…" he placed a hand on Edd's hip and gently pushed him to one side, "lemme run to the bathroom real quick."

"Oh! Sure." Edd hoisted himself off and plopped down on the other side of the bed. He pulled the sheets over himself and squeezed a handful as he watched Eddy's naked rear disappear into the bathroom down the hall.

"What are you doing?" Eddy asked himself in the mirror, his reflection staring him down with a tired, confused look. He was hunched over the sink, shoulders raised, gripping the ledge with white-knuckled fingers. "Why do I… feel like this?"

He solemnly grabbed his toothbrush and stared brushing his teeth, staring at himself in the mirror as if at any moment his reflection would give him some advice. He noticed sweat beading up on his forehead and made a noise of suffering. He threw the toothbrush in the holder and rinsed. "Am I just biding my time?" he asked himself as he lifted the toilet seat cover to urinate. "Am I just bein' a fucking coward?"

He flushed and stared at the toilet for a moment. "Fuck. Fuck. Fuck!" A few deep breathing exercises later, Eddy was almost ready to leave. He had his hand on the doorknob, but ended up getting in the shower instead.

Edd heard the shower crank on, and looked over at the bathroom with a look of concern on his face. He slid out of the bed holding the sheet around his waist, but on second thought, he left the sheet on the bed. He walked over to the bathroom door and knocked. "Eddy," he called out, "Are you in the shower?"

"Yeah," came Eddy's distant voice, unusually quiet and subdued.

"Are you… feeling alright?" Edd cracked the door open and peeked inside, so they could hear each other better. "Are you feeling nervous?"

"No!" Eddy said loudly after dropping something in the shower that sounded a lot heavier than it really was. "I'm just washing my balls, D, jeez."

"Okay." Edd smiled awkwardly, silently slipping inside the bathroom to lean against the wall. He tried to sneak a peek through the gap between the curtain and the wall. "I wouldn't have minded either way…" Under normal circumstances, that would have been a lie, but he was feeling abnormally one-tracked and all he wanted was, well, to have sex. In the most impatient way.

"I'll be done in a few minutes." Eddy felt pressured, cornered in a way, and beside himself with guilt and anger at his own cowardice. The sharp sound of curtain rings suddenly sliding against metal had Eddy jump in place. He sharply glanced over his shoulder and watched as Edd stepped into the shower behind him.

"May I join you?" he asked confidently. No amount of fear or self-loathing in Eddy could refuse a smile like that. Eddy couldn't respond with anything other than a nervous chuckle. He handed him a bar of soap. "Thanks," Edd said cheerfully, lathering up. "I normally have a whole routine when I shower, but… oddly enough, I don't really care about that right now." He did not even change out of his regular sockhat…

"That right?" Eddy said, turning his back to the other man, his eyes wide as he concentrated on maintaining a calmed tone in his voice to mask his spiking nervousness. He heard Edd hum in agreement and the sound of skin slapping as he washed himself behind him hurriedly. Within a few moments, Eddy could hear Edd clear his throat.

"May I have the water, to rinse?"

"Uh, sure." Eddy moved out of the way so the stream of water could hit Edd's body; he ducked under the showerhead and leaned against the wall, watching timidly as Edd rinsed himself off on the other side of the shower, whom was apparently spacing out and staring at the shower curtain as if he were lost in thought, until he realized that Eddy was staring at him. He smiled nervously and chuckled when their eyes met before turning around, his back facing Eddy and the stream of water, and rubbed his hands along his lower back.

"Eddy, could you avert your eyes for a moment?" Edd said timorously, his hands moving towards his buttocks.

A reply never came, but it did not stop him from continuing. Eddy watched intensely while Edd spread his cheeks so the water could run over his anus directly. He held his breath and bit his lip as he watched the hot water trickle down his puckered hole, his fingertips pulling gently, sinking into the soft flesh. He was drawn to it; he was mystified by it. He imagined himself taking a step forward and pressing himself against Edd's backside, wrapping his arms around him. Edd would moan loudly with approval and grip tightly at his arms, and he would ravage his shoulder with hungry kisses, teeth clenching around his skin and tongue sliding anywhere it could. He would press himself into Edd's crevice and Edd would swivel his hips backwards and press against him lustfully.

When Edd turned around, his eyes instantly darted to Eddy's lap where he was feverishly pleasuring himself. Eddy paused; he glanced up in surprise, and it made Edd smile. "You don't need to stop…" He said quietly, making a move to reach out and touch Eddy's shoulder.

Eddy let out a nervous laugh; "Yeah, but I'd rather get to the bed."

"Okay," Edd's eyes sparkled with excitement as he smiled. He watched Eddy silently shut the water off and slip out of the shower, grabbing the towel and covering up his erection first. "Eddy, is there a reason you're acting like this? You seem quite nervous, even though we were so intimate yesterday…"

"I'm fine." Eddy said immediately, his voice a bit more high pitched than usual. He moved from the bathroom to head towards the bedroom, leaving Edd still standing in the shower, staring at his ghost with a look of skepticism.

Edd grabbed the other towel a bit more forcefully than he intended and stomped out of the bathroom after Eddy. "Can you be honest with me for a moment, please?"

Eddy had the towel wrapped around his waist by now, and his fist tightened around the knot holding everything in place. He clenched his jaw, eyes dropping to the floor, but he wouldn't turn around to face Edd who stood behind him with impatience clear in his eyes.

"I am bein' honest!" Eddy spun around; he was obviously struggling to keep his temper at bay. "I'm fine. I don't… I don't know why I'm…" He smiled despite himself and ran a shaky hand through his damp hair as his glassy eyes darted around the room. "I'm _not_ nervous!"

Edd's scowling face slowly melted into one of pity as he watched Eddy attempt to reassert a level of confidence that wasn't there. Without wasting any more time, he fastened his towel around himself and quickly approached Eddy, and he pulled him into a cold wet hug. Together, they could feel each other's muscles relax within the embrace, and Eddy moved his face to the side as he squinted his eyes to keep himself from tearing up. Edd stayed unmoving until their cold embrace began to warm up.

"What do you want to do?" He asked carefully against Eddy's shoulder.

Eddy was silent for a few minutes, basking in the warmth of their hug and trying to collect himself. He pulled away and moved his hands up to hold Edd's shoulders as he took in a sharp, refreshing breath. "Let's eat some breakfast."

Unable to lie, Edd's face fell in disappointment, but he could not argue with Eddy's suggestion; it was obvious the man was having some sort of inner turmoil regarding their intimacy. He shrugged and put a smile on his face. "Okay," he said optimistically, "we could use the energy."

"Yeah!" Eddy pulled away and made his way towards the kitchen, ripping off his towel and throwing it on the floor. Edd began to follow him, but when he disappeared around the corner, he glanced down at the discarded towel and automatically lifted his hand in preparation to pick it up, but he paused. He glanced back out the door, and then back down at the towel, and finally decided to remove his own towel as well. He draped it over his arm as he picked up the other and carefully folded them, taking his time until Eddy yelled from the kitchen; "You comin'?"


	6. Chapter 6

Eddy threw a frying pan on the stove and was beginning to make his way to the fridge when Edd walked around the corner, his hands passively linked behind his back as he watched Eddy, just as naked as he felt, bend over and look through the fridge. Edd moved to the stove and began opening a bottle of olive oil, and when Eddy turned around with the eggs he heard him say; "Hey, what's that?"

He noticed Eddy was holding butter in the other hand, and he shook his head. "It's much better with olive oil, Eddy."

Eddy gave him a look of confusion and looked over at the pan, watching the thick slightly green liquid ooze out of the bottle and make a small eerie pool in the frying pan that was beginning to sizzle to life. "Are you sure? It looks funky. It's green."

Edd squinted and smiled a little. "It looks like more of a yellow color to me, actually."

"Well, whatever you say." Eddy said, tossing the butter back into the fridge.

Edd looked over to a drawer that was closest to Eddy and pointed to it; "Eddy, can you hand me the spatula? It's in that drawer."

Eddy handed him the spatula and leaned against the counter beside him, his hips jutted back a little to keep his crotch from making contact with the freezing surface of the cabinet below. As Edd cracked the eggs into the pan, he kept stealing glances at Eddy beside him and smiling, and when Eddy noticed it he would return the same relaxed smile. The two basked in the comforting normality of being close and cooking despite the peculiarity of standing naked in the middle of the kitchen.

When Edd made a reach for a small bottle of seasoning, Eddy watched raptly. "What're you gonna put on 'em?"

Edd glanced over, a bit surprised. "Oh, just a little rosemary."

Eddy made a look. "Rosemary? You can put that on eggs?"

His surprised look grew into one of shock and he gaped at Eddy. "You've never had rosemary with your eggs? Why, you can put rosemary on anything! It's a seasoning."

Eddy rolled his eyes. "I know it's a seasoning, I just never—hey, that's a lot, now."

Edd giggled and capped the bottle of seasoning. "It's not too much. It's the perfect amount." Eddy stared skeptically at the green-flecked eggs while Edd slid them from the pan, transferring them to a plate. "Try it," Edd seemed proud of his creation as he held out a fork.

Eddy took the fork and sighed. "Well alright," he grumbled, leaning over to give the eggs a sniff to gauge the flavor of the seasoning before he shoved it in his mouth. He took a bite and focused on the flavor on his tongue. His expression relaxed. "Hey that's not bad…"

Edd clapped his hands together and grinned, watching lovingly as Eddy took a few more bites and hummed with approval. It hit him suddenly; a wave of adoration burst through him and he felt as if he were glowing from the inside out as he watched Eddy candidly enjoy his creation. His lower lip trembled a bit as his smile grew, and he relished in the prospect of reliving this particular moment every morning, as often as possible, for the rest of his life. He was snapped out of his daydream when a forkful of egg was shoved in his face.

"Here," Eddy offered nonchalantly, holding the fork up to Edd's lips. Edd giggled and reached up to gently hold Eddy's wrist as he accepted his offering. Eddy watched with intent; his smile dissolving as he focused on his throat, watching for him to swallow. Edd noticed the sudden change in behavior and swallowed slowly. The sound of the fork suddenly hitting the stovetop was loud, but before he could react, Eddy had grabbed the back of his neck and pulled him forward into a powerful, rosemary, eggy kiss.

Edd squeaked in surprise but the sound was immediately followed by a low, hungry moan, and he filled his palms with fistfuls of Eddy's hair. The kiss was broken momentarily as Edd grinned widely, and when Eddy's eyes cracked open and he noticed how happy Edd looked, he grinned himself. Edd's hands fell down Eddy's back and he raked his nails against his skin, pressing their lips together again, and again. Eddy hoisted himself up on his toes and pressed their bodies tightly together; one hand fastened on the back of Edd's neck while the other moved downwards to grope his buttock.

Eddy pushed Edd's body against the edge of the counter, where it pressed hard into his lower back. Edd reacted with a sharp shiver, breaking their bond with a loud shudder. "Apologies; it's very cold."

Eddy frowned, his brows knitted tightly together as he forcefully grabbed Edd's shoulder and spun him around. "It won't be for long." Edd made a noise of surprise as he was suddenly facing the other direction and his palm slapped on the top of the counter where the spatula lay innocently in front of him. With wide eyes he glanced behind him and was about to chew Eddy out about how him facing another direction wouldn't change the temperature of their surroundings, but his words were cut short as he felt a stiff rod pressing against his rear end, forcing him to bite down on his lower lip. His fingers automatically clenched against the marble edge and he uttered a needy whimper that made Eddy chuckle behind him. "The eggs… they'll get cold- Ah!"

Eddy had squeezed his member between Edd's cheeks and started a slow grind, holding Edd's hips with an iron grip. "I don't give a fuck about food right now, Double D."

Edd gasped with excitement and tried to shimmy his hips to match Eddy's pace but Eddy's grip kept him locked in place against the counter. "I-I don't understand Eddy; a mere fifteen minutes ago you didn't seem to care for lovemaki-Eaugh!" Eddy had bitten down on his shoulder, interrupting him yet again causing his entire body to stiffen.

"Don't ruin this, D." Eddy said darkly against his skin, sealing the bite with a large, wet kiss. Edd's face was flushed red from the intensity of Eddy's sudden actions, but he stared at the kitchen cabinet in front of him with confusion etched in his features. He fell silent, deep in thought, while Eddy slowly rocked against him.

Eddy moved his hands to grip Edd's cheeks, pressing them tightly on either side of his erection as he imagined what it would be like to be pounding his tight hole, to see his cock disappear between them and feel Edd's body wrapped around him. When he noticed Edd had fallen silent, he reached around to fondle him. He was surprised to find out that Edd was only half-erect. Feeling Eddy's hasty fingers wrap around him jerked Edd out of his train of thought and he gasped loudly, immediately reaching down to grab the assertive fist.

"Wait, Eddy…" He turned around to face his lover who looked at him as if he had no idea what was going on. Edd's eyes reflected a sadness that softened Eddy's passionate glare, and made him sigh and take a step back, crossing his arms over his chest.

"What is it." he grumbled.

Edd bit his lip and reached out to grip Eddy's arms, gently pulling them down until he could hold his hands and grip them compassionately. His lower lip jutted out and his eyes lit up with emotion. "I…" He choked up for a moment; it was still difficult saying it to Eddy's face, "I love… you…" After a relieved sigh, he continued; "and I would much rather discuss what happened earlier than engage in any further acts of intimacy with you. Can we please talk?"

Eddy clenched his jaw, his eyes casted downwards between them as he counted the tiles and tried to avoid understanding what Edd had just asked of him. "Can you be more specific?"

Edd was becoming annoyed, and it was more and more obvious as Eddy bided his time to dance around the issue. "Come now, Eddy." He stuck his hands on his hips, not buying his feigned perplexity. When Eddy refused to answer him as he waited, he gave a frustrated groan and his shoulders sagged. "When we were JUST in the shower together, you pushed me away and stated you'd rather abscond to the bed to make love, and yet here we are in the kitchen…"

Eddy rolled his eyes as a nervous grin tugged at the corners of his mouth. "If you wanna go to the bed you just had to say so."

Edd growled and clenched his fists against his bare thighs; "That's not what I'm—Ohhh you're not listening to me! Please!" His eyes started to water. "Just tell me what I'm doing wrong!"

Eddy's eyes widened and, in his shock, he took a step back. "What? You're not doing anything wrong. What are you talking about?"

Edd sniffled. The tears broke through and began streaming down his cheeks, and his shoulders trembled gently as he cried. "I just don't understand why…" his voice cracked, "-why we were able to be so intimate before, but now you get so nervous whenever I…" He fell silent, expression blanking as the last tear trickled down to his chin and he stared in utter revelation. Eddy's face soured and he gave him a look.

"I'm not nervous," Eddy said defensively, "obviously. I'm great at sex, what do I have to be nervous about?"

Edd wiped his cheeks and laughed dryly; he did not buy into Eddy's lies, but he still looked at him with endearment. He reached out to touch Eddy's face, watching the man flinch, and he nodded with complete understanding. "You're right. I don't know what's gotten into me. Why don't we go to the bed? It's too cold in here…"

"Yeah of course, babe." Eddy said charmingly, touching Edd's back as he started to lead him towards the bedroom.

Once on the bed, Eddy wasted no time in romancing his lover, and Edd relaxed on the mattress as he withheld his motives, allowing Eddy to do as he pleased. He inhaled sharply when Eddy started kissing his shoulder, running his tongue over where he had bitten him earlier. Edd moaned and placed his hand on Eddy's thigh, squeezing gently, encouraging. Eddy paused for a moment, and then moved to Edd's neck where he started sucking tightly at the flesh. Edd breathed heavily and his hand traveled further up Eddy's thigh as his other hand curled tightly around the edge of mattress, eventually reaching his rear where he dug his fingers into the skin. "You know, Eddy… I, ahhh, I do believe you have a natural talent for physical affection."

"Mmm," Eddy hummed against his neck before pulling away, "Ya liked that little move I pulled in the kitchen?"

Edd blushed deeply and giggled. His voice was small and quiet. "Of course I did, Eddy… I'm sure I would enjoy it more in a warmer setting such as this one…"

Eddy had moved on to pepper Edd's chest with hot, wet kisses. "That's… too… bad…" he said between kisses before looking up at Edd and cracking a smile. "I have a better idea, now." Eddy sat back on his legs between Edd's, and stroked his thighs as he looked down between them and grinned.

Edd stretched his arms behind his head and squeezed his knees against Eddy's body. "Is that so? Well, what do you have in mind?"

"Hm?" Eddy said absently, starstruck by the sight of Edd's erection. He wrapped his fingers around it; he could feel it twitch and harder further in his hand, and he relished the pleased noise Edd rewarded him with. When he glanced up, he could see Edd blushing terribly and, surprised at being observed, looked away nervously. Eddy smiled and tipped forward until he could lean on his elbow and knees above Edd. He began kissing him again while he massaged his palm along the length of his member. Edd moaned into the kiss and his hands gripped the pillow behind him fiercely, struggling to refrain himself. He was surprised when Eddy let go of his member and reach up to grab one of his hands.

"Touch me," he said against Edd's lips before guiding Edd's hand between them.

They moaned in unison as they kissed and stroked each other, gingerly shifting their hips into the movements. Eddy huffed as he moved to kiss Edd's cheek and back down his neck, leaving Edd to tip his chin back and moan with their sensual movements. Eddy whined pathetically and his hand picked up speed, bringing Edd's moans up another octave. "I love your dick, D…" he whispered into Edd's ear.

Edd couldn't hold back any longer and his other hand slipped from under the pillow to touch Eddy's neck, his back, his hair, whatever he could reach. He cried out when he felt Eddy's hand brush against his own, the tips of their erections grazing each other with a slickness that cooled quickly.

"Oh, heh, right; my idea…" Eddy chuckled as he sat up; Edd smiled widely when he saw how flushed and excited Eddy had become. Eddy settled between Edd's legs and threw Edd's hand to the side so he could grasp their swollen appendages together. Edd shivered at the sensation of being tightly pressed against both Eddy's cock and his hand. He looked down between them and marveled at the sight.

"Oh my lord," he said quietly, using his now free hand to touch Eddy's chest. "That's really… ingenious."

Eddy grunted pleasurably, slowly stroking the two rods in his hand. "Yeah," he replied breathily without stopping, "I've uh, always wanted to do this with you, D..."

Edd moaned, sliding his hand to the back of Eddy's neck where he absently rubbed the muscles as he focused entirely on the movements between them. Whereas they were previously only shifting their hips to the rhythm, now they were rocking against each other, practically humping Eddy's feverishly paced fist. Within mere minutes, their moans had escalated; they were panting and shivering with pleasure. Eddy's thumb brushed over the tips and found one of them to be dribbling, so he spread it over the two crowns and massaged the slippery slopes with his palm, expertly. Edd twitched and moaned loudly, and suddenly there was even more lubricant to spread around. Eddy was beside himself with lust for every single thing Edd would do. He bit his lip as he watched him roll his head back and moan, arching his chest out, the way he impatiently rolls the tip of his tongue over his gap whenever Eddy would slow the pace. And suddenly, there was even more lubricant.

"Oh, damn it…" Eddy paused with a frustrated growl. "Hold on, I'm uh…" his cheeks flushed a deep shade of red, he squinted with discomfort. "I'm, I'm really close."

Edd was maximally flustered at this point; "Oh, Eddy no, please don't stop… please," he sputtered impatiently between huffs, "Please, please…"

Eddy was a bit surprised and as Edd begged him to continue, he self-consciousness melted away and was replaced with pure lust. "Are you sure that's what you want?" Eddy asked confidently, squeezing his hand around them.

"Yes," Edd smiled bashfully, "please?"

"Mm," Eddy moaned as he started off slowly, "Well, since you asked so nicely…" His pace quickened a little, but it was still slower than before. Edd whimpered, grinding his teeth against his lip. He tried to compensate by rocking his hips but it still couldn't compare. Edd gave a flustered groan, feeling so overwhelmed with love that he, without even thinking about it, grabbed Eddy's face and kissed him boldly, passionately. Eddy immediately matched his enthusiasm with moans. His grip picked up speed, as well as their grinding. Edd moaned heatedly as he felt himself nearing orgasm. He broke the kiss and wrapped his arm around Eddy's shoulder as he buried his face in his neck. "Are you close?" Eddy asked huskily. Edd responded with a shaky, wavering moan and a quick nod. "I wanna see your face.'

Edd leaned away, looking at Eddy with the most embarrassed yet aroused look on his face. Eddy watched him smugly, but intently. He could tell when he was about to reach his peak when his moans became sharper and louder. With only a few seconds warning, Eddy looked down to see Edd's groin pulsate as his cock fired upwards, missing his nose by an inch. Edd unloaded all over Eddy's arm and hand, bucking his hips and crying out loudly with each string of cum. Eddy's hand glided over the thick, juicy coating and groaned loudly, instantly reaching his own peak. When he came, he shot Edd in the chest with each contraction, though neither of them noticed as they were writhing in pleasure. Just as Eddy's moans were dying down and he started to catch his breath, sweaty hands pulled him into a sloppy, energetic kiss with an excessive amount of tongue. He made a noise of surprised but then returned Edd's embrace by placing his hand on his side. He had forgotten how soiled his hand was. Edd pulled away from the kiss and looked down at the goop strung between his waist and Eddy's now raised hand.

"Oh, sorry." Eddy said quietly, still breathing heavily and red in the face. Edd did not respond. Instead, he continued to kiss Eddy as if nothing had happened. He rolled them over so Eddy lay on his back and he was on top, smooshing their leftovers together between them. He nuzzled Eddy's shoulder.

"I wish I could stay like this forever." Edd said wistfully.

Eddy grinned. "Well, I don't have any plans… do you?"

Edd giggled cheerfully, but was interrupted by a loud sound of an engine revving. It was Eddy's phone. They both glanced over at the phone, then at each other. Eddy's relaxed expression soured into that of a scowl. "Get it for me, will ya?"

"Sure," Edd replied brokenheartedly. He leaned over and grabbed the phone off the bedside table. Eddy checked the message, which read: "come in now or your fired." His scowl deepened and he sighed angrily, glaring at the offensive letters on his phone screen. "You have to go in?" Edd asked quietly, afraid of the answer.

Eddy pursed his lips for a moment. "Nah, it's just a wrong number."

He quickly typed a response and sent it promptly, without a second thought; "Go to hell." He tossed the phone to the floor and fell back into the soft mattress, where Edd wrapped around him and hummed happily. "I hate my job," he said grouchily, glaring up at the ceiling.

Edd studied his sour face with a concerned look, brushing the hair away from his face in an attempt to soothe his worries. "Why don't we crack open a bottle of…" Eddy glanced at him warily, but Edd caught himself, "tonic water, and watch a documentary together or something?"

Eddy smirked, "Or how about beers and an action movie?"

At the same time they gasped and pointed at each other; "Colas and a drama!"

"Good truce," Eddy grinned and nodded with approval.

"A fine settlement if I do say so myself." Edd agreed with a smile.


	7. Chapter 7

Eddy breathed in sharply when he woke; the soft comfort of the bed around him was still new and strange, and his muscles stiffened for a moment as he cracked an eye open to survey his surroundings. As soon as he saw Edd lying next to him, sound asleep and wrapped tightly in the blanket they shared, he felt himself relax again. As he relaxed, the sound of rain registered to him, and he glanced over towards the window overlooking the street below and apartments across from them, their colors faded through the dusty gray veil of rain. He made a bored look as he stared at the water dripping down the glass, and ended up closing his eyes again…

"Good morning." Eddy snapped awake again at the sound of Edd's cheerful voice in front of his face. Edd watched him with a smile as he looked at him with confusion in his eyes.

"Hey…" Eddy smiled as well, staring at him through some tousled hair in front of his face. "I guess I fell back asleep."

"Oh?"

Eddy turned to look out the window again, but now bright rays of sunshine poured through the glass, now completely dry. "That's weird. It was raining earlier."

"It was." Edd agreed; Eddy glanced at him with curiosity. "The thunder woke me up, but it cleared up pretty quickly. The sun's been out for about an hour, now.'

"You've just been layin' in bed for an hour?" Edd blushed and his smile grew, and his eyes dropped to the bed; he could barely look Eddy in the eyes. Eddy watched him shy away and smiled as well. "Were you watching me sleep?"

"Maybe a little," Edd chirped flirtatiously, clutching the blanket to his lap. When his eyes caught Eddy's, he caught them roaming down his torso and back up again. They shared a look of excitement, which Eddy interrupted with a chuckle.

"I forgot how naked we are."

Edd lifted the blanket up to his chest and shivered. "I'm certainly not used to sleeping in the nude… It's very odd."

Eddy scoffed. "Sleepin' in the buff is great!"

Edd rolled his eyes. "Well, sometimes I sleep shirtless, but—" He suddenly gasped when Eddy ripped the blanket off of the bed. It made a whooshing noise as it lifted away from them, and softly landed on the other side of the room. Without a thought, Edd brought his knees up to his chest and hugged them, concealing his nudity. "Eddy!"

Eddy glanced at the obstacle between them: Edd's knees. He scooted over to sit next to him and curled his arm around Edd's waist. Edd bit his lip but he couldn't contain his smile from spreading as Eddy stared through him knowingly. He placed his palm on the top of Edd's knees and pressed gently, until Edd began to lower them obediently.

"You should get used to it."

"G-get used to wha..what?" Edd suddenly realized he was breathing heavily as he watched Eddy's stare zone in on his lap while his legs lowered their defenses.

Eddy quickly looked up at him. "Sleepin' in the buff!"

Now that his defenses have melted away, Edd found himself leaning backwards as Eddy's eyes drew closer and pushed him back, his body moving in closer and closer… Eddy didn't stop until he was straddling him, their faces only inches apart. Edd was leaning back on his bent elbows, a sweet, confused look on his face. His voice came out just above a whisper: "And why is that?"

Eddy grinned devilishly and shrugged his shoulders, looking at Edd like a predator stares down his prey. "'Cause we're gonna be havin' lots, and lots… of—"

The noise of a revving engine interrupted their moment, tearing through the silence around them, its noise like that of a snarling growl coming from the side table next to the bed. Eddy's expression reversed to one of pain and fear, and Edd was immediately concerned. "What is it now?"

Eddy cringed and leaned back, looking sorrowfully over towards his phone, anxiety clear in his face. "That's gotta be my boss."

Edd watched him with worried eyes as he moved to the other side of the bed to grab his phone. He made a terrified whine when the screen flicked on. "It's a voicemail." For a few minutes, Eddy sat in silence, staring that the voicemail notification on the phone screen, deliberating whether or not he should listen to it. A shuffling noise behind him could be heard as Edd moved beside him. He touched his back, and Eddy's skin jumped at the sensation.

"Sorry," Edd responded to making Eddy jump, "Are you going to listen to it?"

"I don't…" Eddy started, but was interrupted when he noticed he just received a text as well. He pulled open the app and the text popped up to read: Don't know if you got my voicemail, but you're fired. "I'm unemployed."

"Oh," Edd made a huge sigh of relief and his hand moved over Eddy's back until he could envelop him in a hug. "Thank goodness."

Eddy's muscles stiffened and he ripped himself out of Edd's embrace, sliding off the bed, his shoulders hunched. "Wha, what do you mean- thank goodness? I need money, Double D!"

"What…" Edd stared at him in bewilderment. "What are you talking about? They treated you terribly, Eddy!"

Eddy shook his head with a scowl, "Whatever! I was making good money!"

"You can make money anywhere, Eddy!" Edd yelled, his voice sharp and fed up. "You're… Eddy!" Eddy's glare began to soften and his shoulders drooped, hands that were fists now hang limply by his thighs. Edd's words encapsulated him, redefining his spirit and sense of belonging all at once, and Eddy felt the reality in the room suddenly shift around him while Edd's steadfast gaze locked him in place to accept his truth; "That's what you do." He said definitively.

Eddy looked away; down, to the wall, anywhere. He clenched his jaw, thoughts running rampantly behind busy eyeballs. "I haven't done that stuff since, what; high school?" His thoughts were interrupted when he felt hands clutch at his own, and he came back to reality to see Edd leaning towards him and holding his hands, kneeling on the side of the mattress and looking up at him.

He cracked a small smile when he felt Eddy's fingers squeeze his own. "You'll think of something… you always do."

"I… guess…" Eddy stared down at him with uncertainty in his eyes, and he followed suit as he was gently tugged towards the bed again by Edd's hands. Edd pulled him into an embrace and rested his head on Eddy's chest, breathing in slowly and deeply. Eddy mirrored the action, taking a deep, well-needed breath and he soon found himself returning the embrace, stroking the back of Edd's hat.

The two hugged in silence for a moment while Eddy was glancing to the side, his mind still reeling… It took him a minute to realize that Edd had started kissing his chest and moving downwards. His breath hitched in his throat when he felt a hand in front of his thighs, moving to fondle him endearingly; the sensation of another hand down there was still foreign to him.

"I uh…" Edd's lips brushed against his belly and his down-turned eyes lifted up to meet his, an embarrassed smile lifted his cheekbones as well. "I've no need for a wine budget any longer, so…"

Eddy suddenly felt a strange emotion well up in his chest, and a sense of, what he could only imagine as, pure peace overcame him from head to toe. Perhaps, a sense of belonging? Of one-ness? Could the concept of fate be experienced as an emotion? Whatever this new feeling was, he could feel the bounds of shackles he was never even aware of dissipate from his extremities and he felt… light.

"Wow," he said quietly, getting Edd's attention. "Double D… Do you really think everything's just gonna… work out like that?"

Edd's fingers froze around his piece, creating a strange caging sensation that kept him on edge. "Nothing ever works out for us the way we want. But… I always looked forward to the outcome of our adventures, because we were always together, and that's all I ever cared about."

Their eyes locked as they exchanged looks which could only be described as an understanding of all they had been through together, of all mentally recorded outcomes they've survived, of all shared dreams dashed before their very eyes, of all the misunderstandings and regrets. And then they smiled at each other.

"You know what I'm thinkin' about?" Eddy asked with a smirk.

Edd's eyes sparkled with interest and he blushed deeply, his fingers playing with Eddy's sack. "Why don't you tell me?" He said seductively, his chin lowering further downwards until his lips were mere inches away from his growing erection.

"I'm thinkin'…" Eddy briefly paused to bite his lip; for a moment he had to experience the sensation of enhanced creativity with the reality of being rewarded his guiltiest pleasures. "We could… c-car wash?"

Edd hummed pleasurably and pressed his lips against the swollen head of Eddy's cock. "Yes? Keep going…" He slipped the tip of his tongue out between the gap in his teeth and tantalizingly licked the smooth skin.

Eddy chuckled nervously as he took a deep breath. His fingers fidgeted nervously, but Edd squeezed them in his hand, his grip fortifying. "D-diet pills using ingredients not approved by the FDAuugghh…" Eddy trailed off as a hot, wet sensation swallowed his piece whole. Edd's lips touched the base, his nose pressing into the cushiony forest of hair. He felt himself twitch with excitement as his erection filled out against Edd's smooth tongue. "Puh…Probably something from China. Or green tea extract or some shit—people eat that shit… up…" His voice wavered as Edd slowly moved back, dragging his tongue along his length and then smiling after he reached the end. He held up Eddy's erection with his free hand and giggled.

Eddy's head had been tilted back, lost in the sensation of Edd's mouth around him, and savoring the gentle tugs he was getting as he tried to think of another idea. "We could market our own exfoliating cream, sell it at a farmer's market." Eddy groaned sensually when Edd went down on him again. This time, he moved back and forth slowly, his free hand massaging the base. "We could… w-we could… fuck D, that feels so good." He placed a hand on Edd's shoulder and squeezed pleadingly.

Edd rolled his head back, the hardened cock slipping from his lips with a small string of saliva. A slapping noise could be heard as his fist pumped over Eddy's length, using the excess saliva to lubricate the tight friction of his palm. "Junk removal business," Eddy was panting, so he paused to swallow before continuing, "charge people to remove their junk and flip it for profit." Edd wrapped his lips around the head as his hand worked the rest, swirling his tongue around the circumference and suckling gently at the tip. Eddy couldn't hold back a moan and he pressed his pelvis forward a little, yearning to feel the inside of Edd's mouth again.

"TV mounting services… please, please…" Eddy begged, feeling Edd's warm lips envelop him once again, "Unlicensed local locksmith service—" He bit down on his lip, cutting himself off as the lucidity of the wetness surrounding his sensitive erection was heightened as Edd took him in again, and adjusted his tongue around the length. Eddy let out a low moan and gripped at Edd's shoulders, his fingers digging into the skin.

When Eddy started to push him away, Edd looked up at him with wide, confused eyes; he was met with a strict, determined expression that only further confused him, but it was nevertheless exciting. "What is it?"

"Lay down." Eddy instructed, taking a deep breath and moving away to dig around in the side table by the bed. He pulled out a little clear bottle of what Edd recognized as his lube, so he immediately turned red and reached down to cover himself automatically. "I found this last night after we… y'know," Eddy said with a smile, "this is what you use, huh?"

Edd was thoroughly embarrassed so he could only shrug his shoulders and avoid eye contact, still adjusting to the idea of his long-time endearing friend Eddy knowing of his sexual urges. This state of humiliation came to an abrupt halt when he noticed that Eddy started to pour some of the lube in his hand. "What are you doing?"

"I'm gonna finger ya." Eddy said matter-of-factly, coating his fingers on his other hand, rolling them in the puddle of lube on his palm. He glanced up and could not help but chuckle at the sight of Edd staring back at him with wide eyes and bright red cheeks, a small bead of sweat trickling out from under his hat. Without blinking, he slowly relaxed onto his elbows and spread his knees before him, trying to suppress his heavy breathing by pursing his lips. "And then I'm gonna fuck the lights outta ya."

Edd moved one hand down to touch himself, holding his penis between two fingers and his thumb, biting his lip as he watched Eddy situate himself below him. Eddy smiled up at him and rubbed his thigh, his palm still a bit sticky from the lube, until he worked his hand down to cup his ass where he parted the cheeks, preparing his fingers for entry. "Uh," Edd interrupted him timidly, quietly, in a way that made Eddy shiver, "one at a time... please…"

Eddy flashed him a toothy grin. "Alright," he said compliantly, switching to one index finger, and pressed the tip against his anus. Edd waited with his breath held tightly in his chest, supervising every tantalizingly slow action Eddy performed on him. He slowly pressed inwards, the slippery lube providing easy access, until his entire finger was submerged, watching Edd's face as he made noises of discomfort. Eddy chuckled as he tried to focus on exploring without getting too distracted by the cute faces Edd was making.

Soon he angled his fingertip in just the right way, in a way that made Edd—

"Oh!" Edd spaced out for a moment, stiffening a bit when his body jerked at the sensation, "Oh, that's…" His eyes met Eddy's, which were half-lidded and full of indulgence. "You… you're…"

"Yeah I am." Eddy said confidently, proud of himself for finding the spot. He slowly pulled out for a moment so he could slip in another finger. The widening feeling made Edd gasp and he squeezed his eyes shut while Eddy stretched him; the discomfort waned as he pressed upwards again, gently rolling his fingers against the small lump. Edd moaned loudly as he gave it a particularly firm press with his fingers, and his eyes flew open to see his own cock stiff as ever and dribbling a clear fluid down the head. When Eddy noticed how turned on it was making him, he became merciless with his pressure tactics and stroked his prostate roughly with his fingers, making Edd fall back against the bed and shake as the sensations vibrated through him. He grasped at the sheets and cried out his name while more fluid trickled down his needy cock, pooling atop the nest of dark hair at the base.

"I'm just gettin' started here, Sockhead." Eddy kissed his knee before working in a third finger, dripping with a fresh coat of lube, and Edd's body accepted him warmly and thankfully, accompanying the addition with a gasp of pleasure and a series of moans to follow. Eddy watched him writhe around his fingers pleasurably, watched his cock twitch every now at then when he pressed into him particularly firmly, and he reached between them with his free hand and began to stroke himself.

"Does it feel good?" Eddy knew the answer, he just wanted to hear Edd answer him; he even went as far as to cup the prostate between the three fingertips and squeeze, making him cry out and tremble with pleasure.

"Yes!" Edd called out obediently towards the ceiling as he touched one of his hardened nipples. He gasped as the sensitivity of his skin overcame him.

Eddy picked up his pace on himself as he stroked his own cock greedily, huffing through his nose as he watched Edd tremble and squirm with pleasure. "Think I should put it in now?"

Edd looked to him with avid eyes, drowsy and delirious from the bursts of pleasure, and he gritted his teeth as he nodded, raising his hips in hungry preparation. Eddy pulled his fingers out and flipped the cap open for the lube, dowsing his swollen erection with a thick coating and giving himself a good stroke before shifting his knees a bit closer to Edd's body, getting himself into position. He bit down hard on his lip as he lined himself up with Edd's anus, prodding the soft ring with the tip of his head, and he could feel his cock spasm expectantly. He wasted no time in pressing forward, slowly, and he closed his eyes to further relish the sensation of Edd's body wrapped around his cock, and the sweet sounds of approval laced within Edd's acquiescent moans.

Strong fingers clawed at his hips, and Eddy's eyes instantly popped open as he felt the hips beneath him shift and the hot tightness around him swallow the rest of his cock. They stared yearningly at each other while Edd established a pace grinding against Eddy's lap without restraint. Eddy grinned shakily, excitement bubbling up in his chest as he reassessed the reality of their positions and nodded his head down to kiss Edd's chest. Edd moaned and tilted his head back hard against the mattress, rolling his hips in a circular motion around Eddy's cock impatiently, hungrily. He cried out as Eddy reached between them and started jerking him off, his fingers easily slipping over the copious amounts of precum that had been dripping down the sides. Edd slowed down a bit to enjoy Eddy's pumping fist and catch his breath, his toes digging into the sheets, fingers still digging into Eddy's hips. "Fuck me, Eddy…" He whispered, already beginning to jerk his hips around again. He glared up at him and pushed his hand away to replace it with his own, his other hand moved to the back of Eddy's neck and pulled him closer. "Get down here and fuck me, hard…" He said darkly. He was absolutely ravenous for more, but when he realized just how firmly he expressed himself, a look of embarrassment flashed across his eyes.

"Jeez, okay." Eddy chuckled, now putting his weight on his palms and hovering over Edd's body on all fours. He felt Edd's legs wrap around him, his heels digging into his ass and pulling him, enticing him. He gave him a good, hard thrust that made him moan loudly, and followed up with a few more hard thrusts. Eddy could hardly contain his happiness; he tried biting his lip but the corners of his lips had minds of their own. His sequence buffered for a moment as he had to readjust his knees closer to Edd since they had been slipping on the sheets, but within seconds he regained his pace. As he rocked against Edd, he could feel Edd's hand moving urgently between them, his knuckles sliding against his sweaty belly as he pleasured himself. He arched his back, and Eddy took the opportunity to suckle on the tender skin of his neck.

Edd whimpered in Eddy's ear, shivering when he angled his penetrative stroke in such a way it caused ripples of warmth to wash over him in waves. After a crackling moan he said; "Yes, there…" Eddy glanced at him; his cheeks radiating with heat and an expression of pure ecstasy on his face.

"Oh yeah?" Eddy whispered to him, "Is that how you like it?"

"Mmmm-hmm," Edd moaned in agreement before his face contorted in disbelief; his eyes cracked open and his jaw dropped. "I'm close."

Upon hearing the magic words, a rush of adrenaline filled Eddy's body and he steeled himself for the heightened pleasure that radiated from his groin. He groaned loudly as Edd clenched tightly around him and lowered to lean on his elbows so he could hump him at a faster pace. With his free hand, Edd embraced him, raking his fingers through his sweaty hair; he pressed his face against his scalp and whimpered as tears pricked at his eyes.

Escalating moans filled the room and finally Edd screamed, coiling around Eddy's body as he came hard; his body twitched and jerked beneath Eddy. His hand clutched at Eddy's hair and kept him pinned to his chest. Fresh rivers of tears streamed down his cheeks as his moaning turned into sobs of relief. He stared at the ceiling as if he were seeing fireworks going off above them. Eddy was quick to follow and came as well, groaning deeply as he shot his load deep inside Edd's tightening body; he shuddered wholly as his release drained his body and soul. His slow rocking came to a stop as he lingered through the rest of his contractions, panting heavily against Edd's chest. They lay in what would be silence had it not been for the heavy breathing and, eventually, sniffling. Curious, Eddy glanced up to see where the sniffling was coming from. When he saw that Edd had been crying, he could feel tears stinging the back of his own eyeballs as well.

"What're ya crying for?" Eddy asked, his eyes watering.

After a lengthy sniffle, Edd's lower lip trembled and he squeezed his arm out from between them and clutched tightly at Eddy's body, and he suddenly started sobbing shakily. Eddy found his own tears falling down his cheeks as Edd embraced him, trembling like an autumn leaf in the wind. Eddy squeezed his eyes shut as he pulled out of Edd, making him gasp lightly at the sensation of their lost connection.

"I love you." Edd whimpered, his voice puffing against Eddy's hair. Eddy propped himself up and looked down at Edd's tear-stained face, unabashed by his own tears. He grinned tiredly.

"Yeah me too, ya sap." He said, savoring the sweet look of endearment Edd responded with. He hoisted himself up and rolled over to lay next to him, sighing loudly as he reclined back onto the mattress. Edd immediately rolled over to his side, clutching at Eddy's arm, missing the warmth of their bodies pressed together. Eddy rubbed his belly with his hand, feeling the remnants of Edd's release and smiling widely. He felt Edd's hand find his own, lacing their fingers together. "I should definitely take a shower."

"I'll join you." Edd was quick to invite himself, squeezing Eddy's hand and placing a kiss on his bicep. He lazily wrapped his other arm around his torso.

"But before that, we should probably write down those ideas…"

"I have some sticky notes in the drawer."


End file.
